Exordium

Dear steemians, I welcome you all to my new series on traditional Friday. Where I will tell You all about a particular tradition in Nigeria. Although I would like to apologize for my absence from steemit because I felt I was working hard and not getting enough upvotes. But I have come to realize that it's not all about upvotes, it's about spreading information to the steemit society. And I have @schamangerbert and @bait002 to thank for understanding this phenomenon.

Now back to the traditional Friday, our full focus for today will be on the Western part of Nigeria known as the YORUBA TRADITION.

Origin

The historical background of the Yoruba people could be traced back to the Oyo Empire, when Ile Ife came into existence in the 8th century BCE. Their population has grown in a massive number over the years to an estimated value of 400 million people. The southwestern and North Central of Nigeria and even the the southern and central Benin are made up of Yoruba people. In addition, the word "yoruba" was first recorded in reference to the Oyo Empire in a treatise written by the 16th century Songhai scholar Ahmed Baba. Thus, the Yoruba people are one of the urbanised people in Nigeria.

Art

They are very talent when it comes to the area of art and design. Their artistic work has made a landmark for them and helped to promote and preserve Nigeria's culture and heritage. Therefore it has made room for tourism and cultural display where foreigners can come into the country and see the kind aesthetics we have. One of their works that made them popular throughout the 12th and 14th century is Terra corta
In 1945, the first museum was built for exhibition and it was called Esie museum in Esie, Irepodun.

Food

When it comes to food, they are exceptionally good and very hard to compare. They specialize in moi moi Iyan(pounded yam) , amala (yam flour), ewedu, semolina, egusi, efo and many others.

Wedding

It is said to believe that the upbringing of a child is done by the extended family. The child is also placed with a master of whatsoever craft to learn according to the wishes of the gods. Wedding, which is the climax of any relationship after courtship, is considered very valuable in the Yoruba society because they see it as a union of two families. First the man must bring the lady home to see his parents before they grant their approval to get married. Afterwards, the man's parent goes to visit the lady's parent and discuss on the bride price and wedding arrangements. Once this has been done, the introduction will take place, allowed by the traditional marriage and church wedding. Furthermore, the bride is escorted by so many people before going to her husband house, this ritual is known as "EKUN IYAWO". this picture was taken by me at a Yoruba wedding.

Funeral.

This is considered as a sad period because someone loved has died and they want to believe that they can live for long with their loved ones. The ceremony is quite simple, the deceased person is taken to the church or mosque for prayers and after that the person is taken and buried in his hometown. If the person is above the age of 75 and considered old, a party is conducted, but if the person is too young, everyone stays in a mourning mood for long.

Religion

The Yoruba people are considered to be very religious. But the most acceptable religion amongst them is Christianity and Islam.

Conclusion

The main purpose of my traditional Friday is to tell you about the traditions and customs in Nigeria, so that awareness can be made about out culture. Kindly follow on steemit to get more updates on our traditions next Friday.

###proudly kintokris