Contest: "Our Culture, Our Heritage & Identity": Talk About Your Culture/Traditon : 30 Steem Prize Pool (Set to 10% beneficiary to steemalive) by @patience90

canva app

Introduction

Hello everyone, I am happy to have this opportunity where I can share about my culture, heritage and identity and also, I want to say a big thank you to sir @uzoma24 for this amazing contest.
I am @patience90, an Eggon by tribe and below is what you need to know about where I come from.

Culture is a total way of life and it speaks volume about who you are. Being from dressing, food, language and even lifestyle.

Before I proceed, let me share a brief history of the Eggons.
Eggon means hill (mountain) and the people of Eggon are originated from the hilltop in Nasarawa Eggon.
Basically, we have three major clans in Eggon, which include Eholo, Anzo and Erroh. These three major clans gave rise to many subclans under each of them. These subclans are under contention, however we have 28 of them, especially those that participated in the voting of Aren Eggon in 1981. It is on this pedestal that we can conclude(though not totally), that we have 28 subclans in Eggon nation.
Source

The Eggon traditional wear known as etery and national uniform carries beautiful colours with different significants.

Traditional clothe (Etery)	National uniform source

There are 5 colours and 5 different meanings

Colours	Meaning
Navy blue	mountians, rivers
White	Lima beans (epekpen)
Red	Palm oil
Black	Black beneseed
Green	Agriculture

On the wrapper is a picture of our local plate (ngbakele) with cooked Lima beans inside to show our identity and our motto boldly written...

EGGON KYENKYEN

• The name of your place.

I hail from a village called Washo in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State Nigeria. Our paramount ruler is called Areng Eggon and his palace situated at the heart of Nasasrawa Eggon.

• The name of your Culture/Tradition(s).

The Eggons have a culture called Ezhili Eggon where different activities such as cultural dance, traditional food and artifacts display, masquerade dancing, title installation and local wrestling among other activies are displayed to keep our heritage, culture and sign our identity in the sands of time.
Also, lectures, workshops, talk shows and seminars are held in regards to teaching of our ancestral and western education.

	Source

Masquerades (abili)

Cultral troupe	hunters/wrestlers Source

maidens (mawishe)	mothers (anaugu)source

The period of time of the year it holds.
It's duration of time (How long does it lasts.)

Ezhili Eggon holds every first week of April of the year and it last every day of that week.

Targeted audience. (Who participate in this culture of yours, are visitors allowed)

Every son and daughter of Eggon is a participant of Ezhili Eggon.
The Eggons are peaceful and hospitable people therefore, yes visitors are allowed to witness as guests and also participate through their culture dances.

During the period of Ezhili Eggon, foods like lima beans (Eggon local beans called ebekpen) is being cooked and prepared with black beneseed mixed with palm oil and embugu (moimoi) mixed with palm oil and black beneseed is normally presented to showcase Eggon rich delicacies.

Epekpen	source

	Embugu source

Eggon artifacts are also showcased to show Eggon rich culture

source

source

some Eggon artifacts

source

beautiful maidens showcasing our attires and colours

a princess	a prince

source

female warrior	a male warrior

source

source

Proudly Eggon

Masquerades and masquerades makers

source

Conclusion

Finally, I will say we are blessed with beautiful and handsome people in my land and we also beautify our culture with our sweet souls.

Cc:
@SteemAlive
@focusnow
@uzoma24
@ninapenda
@samuel20

Best regards
@patience90