Nigerian-Mexican Xmas: 1st of its kind in Africa (I)

OriginsNigeria is making history as the only place on the African continent where a Mexican style Christmas celebration, creatively described as the Nigerian-Mexican Christmas (Posada), holds every December. This is a mixture of cultures, which possess common elements, and is capable of thrilling a population of   children and adults too. The children are receiving a […]

Origins
Nigeria is making history as the only place on the African continent where a Mexican style Christmas celebration, creatively described as the Nigerian-Mexican Christmas (Posada), holds every December. This is a mixture of cultures, which possess common elements, and is capable of thrilling a population of   children and adults too. The children are receiving a multicultural orientation at a very early age, and this is good for their understanding of society and the way its members relate. A generation which is looking towards Latin America, while not ignoring its strong indigenous roots, has started to emerge. Very soon a crop of Nigerian citizens, who are very favourably disposed to Mexico and Latin America as a whole, will begin to emerge from Ondo state.The signs are there, and it is not difficult to arrive at this conclusion.  The Nigerian-Mexican Christmas  also involves a moving candle light procession,  costumes, songs, games, role play and even a live  donkey. Some will say  that these are all the  very elements which the average child easily connects with: an enchanting, global  story line, animated by costumes, colours and candles. Both Mexico and Nigeria  possess towering traditions of the festival and also of the popular performance. No wonder then that the Nigerian- Mexican Christmas is catching on fast. This  celebration has  held for six years now,and the enthusiasm for it is spreading  quickly among countless children, youths and adults. Children  and their parents  spend a whole year saving and  planning  for it. The children have started to learn Mexican, and  know a bit more today about Mexican culture too. Many youths say that  they now  find time to watch Mexican and other Latin American Soap Operas. Both Muslim and Christian families flock to the Adegoroye garden, just down the road, to witness a rich slice of Mexican culture once a year. All this has flourished within a period of six years. The  event holds in Akure, capital of Ondo state, every Christmas day, and is already becoming part of the cultural calendar in the state.
Beautiful love
But what is the background to this celebration which may symbolise the  early  growth of a tourism destination? Love, beautiful love radiating between two human beings, lies at the heart of this little festival. The special chemistry between a man and a woman can generate great deeds, and move society forward, the story shows. A few  years ago Goke Adegoroye, former Director-General of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency(FEPA) was in Zimbabawe for a conference. At the conference he met Maria, a Mexican Lady, who has several Masters degrees, and has a deep interest in arts and culture.  They fell in love, and are now married. Then Maria also fell in love with Nigeria, and also wishes to showcase Mexican culture in Nigeria. Goke Adegoroye also became quite fascinated with Mexico. Then  Maria came up with the idea of holding a Nigerian-Mexican Christmas event every Christmas at Akure, and her husband who was already fascinated with Mexico, its art and culture, keyed into the idea. Her parents have visited the country, and have grown to love it too, supporting the Christmas event quite naturally.

Various arms of one family, which involves two very dynamic women, have played a role in developing the Nigerian-Mexican Christmas in Akure. Adesewa, the young daughter of the Adegoroye’s is already showing enthusiasm for the event. She seems to give promise of its continuity, already acting as a charming  Angel in this year’s edition. The passion of one family has triggered off this huge cultural activity. In Akure, one  can see in embryonic form,  the formation or the creation of a future  tourism destination. A leaflet on this year’s Nigerian-Mexican Christmas states “Unfortunately, by the mid -90s the warmth that characterised family and community interactions at Christmas had virtually disappeared so much so that when Mrs Maria Gudelia Salinas de Adegoroye started to come to Nigeria, it was difficult to convince her that Nigerians celebrate Christmas… Ever since, with the support  of his wife’s parents… both Dr &Mrs Adegoroye have taken it upon themselves to open their doors to, not just their larger family, but the entire community for a celebration that infuses the Mexican tradition of celebrating Christmas with that of Nigeria.”
 Maria Adegoroye is able to link Mexican culture with that of Nigeria.She  brings life to the Christmas  event, just as Suzanne Wenger, spearheaded  a major turnaround at the Osun Oshogbo grove in Osun state, many years ago, whose efforts finally  raised  the grove to the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Maria’s example
It may be true that some women, through the power of their example, play a significant role in ennobling their environment, or even in the creation of  tourism destinations, a point which  might  not have been examined very well by scholars. The evidence in Nigeria seems to confirm the unforgettable role of women in raising their communities, as seen in the case of Akure. This point can also be illustrated with this example from Abuja: Maria Adegoroye has inspired the wives of members of the Diplomatic Corps in the country to love Nigeria, and she has initiated the ‘Nigeria for  a Day Project’, in which the Ambassadors wives think, behave and intuit like Nigerians for one day. She loves Nigerian foods, and has a shop in Mexico  which  showcases Nigerian art objects. She describes herself as being a ‘Mexgerian’, an interesting combination of her Nigerian and Mexican sides, and which is also a vivid mirror into her fondness  for the country. She therefore has an interesting pedigree behind her in terms of   a positive   pure  attitude towards  Nigeria.
The men too are not doing badly too. Gabino Salinas, Maria’s father, is a man in love with Nigeria. On this he says “When I am in Mexico, I feel like I am an Ambassador of Nigeria. Recently, when Nigeria beat Mexico in football, people were calling me to congratulate me because Nigeria won.” He and his wife, Catalina Polido, who is just as enthusiastic about Nigeria as her husband,  have been visiting Nigeria every year since 2006.

The youths mobilise
The youths are   useful links in the  gradual emergence of this tourism spot. Adegoroye Ayomiposi 17, is studying Political Science at the Adekunle Ajasin University in Ondo state. He has been part of  the Nigerian-Mexican Christmas right from its very beginning in Akure. One aspect of the celebration thrills him immensely.” The breaking of the devil’s basket appeals to me a lot’he says when asked to recall fond memories of the celebration. The devil’s basket is a symbolic victory of good over evil, acted out by the children during the festivities. The next exciting element  is the special way the manger is decorated, he tells me. He has grown to love the Mexican language. His words “The Nigerian-Mexican Christmas has given me a chance to learn the language, and I have grown to  love the Mexican language  very  much. On Christmas eve the children who will participate in the procession, come together to rehearse  the songs they will sing the next evening. It’s all big fun.”

Dayo Joseph, 30, is  President of the Ajipowo Ogundipe United Youth Association, the association which is directly connected with organising  the Nigerian-Mexican Christmas. On the process of mobilizing the youths for the  festivity, he recalls  “We go from house to house  to get the names of all the children and youths in each household. Once we get the names we collate them and forward same to the convener of the Nigerian-Mexican Christmas.” He says that the youths are  fully involved with the celebration, and also assist in arranging the canopies, chairs and tables, help  with the cooking, and also see that  various aspects of the event run as scheduled. He adds that he too has learnt a bit about Mexico in his association with the festivity. His words “I like  Mexican  Christian life, which is a bit different from what we have here in Nigeria.In Mexico, the people believe in connecting with, in welcoming people. This event is new and beautiful, and the children gathered are already very excited.” There are two other  parts of the celebration which he likes very much. These include the balloons which are released skywards bearing wishes of the children to the Almighty. The next part he likes  very much is the procession by the children. Finally, he declares “For as long as the programme continues, I  will be part of it. The Nigerian-Mexican Christmas has shaped my life, in the sense that I also want to give back to the society.”
He enthuses “If Dr Adegoroye were a politician, he would have my vote.” Komolafe Adedoyin, 28, a University undergraduate, on the other hand, salutes the unity  and the capacity to bond which the celebration is  forging between groups in society. Omenka James, 26, says that he has grown to love Mexican culture  and the country too, adding that before the celebration started, he had not known much about Mexico. Now, he has grown to love the country and he would like  to go to Mexico to study.