Big fun, games during the Mexicana – Nigeria party
The annual Mexicana- Nigeria Christmas party held in Akure on December 25, and it showcased so many new features which made the event to be a truly exciting and memorable one for both adults and the children present. For instance, there was a new manger ‘It was a complete manger. You have not just Mary, […]
The annual Mexicana- Nigeria Christmas party held in Akure on December 25, and it showcased so many new features which made the event to be a truly exciting and memorable one for both adults and the children present.
For instance, there was a new manger ‘It was a complete manger. You have not just Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, but also the Magi Kings, and the animals. There were fifteen figurines in all , ’says Dr. Goke Adegoroye, a retired federal permanent secretary, who organises the party each Christmas together with Maria, his highly creative wife who received the Ohtli Award 2016 in recognition of her pioneering work in promoting Mexico – Nigeria cultural relations. In a sense the next new elements were the Nuns from Owerri, the Imo state capital who were attending the party for the first time. They were three in number, and were from the Missionary Daughters of the Most Virgin Mary.
This is an Order in the Catholic Church, and they focus specially on the elderly and the poor in society. The Nuns participated in all the events and were particularly helpful in the cooking and serving of meals. They confessed that they had never seen anything like the Mexicana – Nigeria Christmas party in their entire lives.
After spending just three years in Nigeria, they are already fluent in Igbo. Dr. Adegoroye says ‘They set up the manger the way it would normally be arranged in Mexico. Its so unique. They created ridges out of paper. The highest peak is where you have Jesus, Joseph, Mary and the Angel.’ Another new item was the grotto. Again, Dr. Adegoroye adds ‘We never had a grotto before. But this time we now had the grotto that has the physical presence of the three Magi Kings, robed in the real gowns of the Magi Kings which had been brought from Mexico. Mexicans don’t believe in Father Christmas, but Nigerians do. The Mexicans do believe in the Magi Kings and they revere the black Magi King.’
The introduction of huge photo frames against which the guests took photographs was an exciting aspect of the party. This wasn’t present in previous years. Both children and adults loved taking photos around the rare and colourful frames.
Perhaps, the most unique of the new features is the Christmas tree. There has always been a Christmas tree to add cultural context to the party, but this tree was much taller than previous ones and could easily be called the tallest Christmas tree in Ondo state. Dr. Adegoroye says ‘It was an elongated 40 foot Christmas tree, and we had to buy 220 yards of cloth and this was woven around the tree. The cloth itself came to about 1.8 kilometres in length.’ Laser beams brought from Mexico by Mr. Gabino Salinas Ponce and Catalina Guerrero, parents of Mrs. Adegoroye, helped to add some flavour to the party, especially at night when the laser lit up the tree.
The stage which was created in front of the manger and the funfair amusement park also brought a glow to the event to the enjoyment of all. Mrs. Adegoroye states ‘The Christmas tree was something else, together with the star at its top, and the amusement park was exciting too.’
The Adegoroye’s indicate that this year there were more children present during the party. They numbered 2,500, up from the 1,500 that were present during last year’s version of the party. Feeding this number of children was not easy. The food was available, but the numbers present were high. In the end they were fed and even the meal remained. Dr. Adegoroye explains ‘We prepared for a little over 2,000.My wife’s instruction was you cannot turn back anybody, especially anybody below 20 who doesn’t have a card. But we have learnt from the experience. Next Christmas as the children are coming in, we will be giving them the food. This will help to reduce the pressure.’
Japh Nwosu, a retired permanent secretary, was also present at the party alongside 14 members of his family, who all travelled from Abuja to Akure .On his experience, he comments ‘The target audience is children, but because of the set up adults were not left out. We all went to the grotto to see what was going on there. I also enjoyed the music, the dancing, and the party. I participated in the play and the array of events lined up on the programme.’ On tourism in Nigeria, Mr. Nwosu explains ‘Tourism has prospects in Nigeria, and this depends on the level of exposure it gets.
For instance, to the people in Akure this party is already something to look forward to. My family and I were able to relax in Akure. I believe in the future of the Mexicana – Nigeria party and it can be a money spinning event. My entire family believes that it is good we travelled to Akure where we all had a rich and rewarding experience.’ Another inspiring element was the use of a narrator during the performance. The children simply acted out the events he referred to.
In the annual Mexicana – Nigeria Christmas party the age old Mexican Christmas tradition has been wedded to the Nigerian Christmas culture, to create a festive energy which fascinates both old and young.
The Mexican tradition of ‘Las Posadas’ which is the simple dramatic story of Christ’s birth lies at the very heart of Akure’s Mexican –Nigeria Christmas celebration. In other words it captures the ‘difficult journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, with heavily pregnant Mary on a donkey and Joseph walking the donkey, searching for a warm place to sleep,’ indicates a publication on Posada 2016. Next year’s party will be the 10th anniversary of the event and it promises to be another fun filled gathering of kindred spirits.