The Eyo Festival or Adamu Orisha

Orisha

An Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system....

 Play is a Yoruba

Yoruba Culture

Yoruba culture refers to the idiosyncratic cultural norms of Yorubaland and the Yoruba people.-Sculpture:The Yoruba are said to be prolific sculptors, famous for their magnificent terra cotta works throughout the 12th and 14th century; artists also harnests their capacity in making artwork out of...

 festival unique to Lagos

Lagos

Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...

, Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

. In modern times, it is presented as a family outing and tourist event. is usually performed in Lagos Island

Lagos Island

Lagos Island is the principal and central local government area of the Metropolitan Lagos in Nigeria. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian census, the LGA had a population of 209,437 in an area of 8.7 km²...

. The word "Eyo" also refers to the masquerades that come out during the festival. The origins of this observance are connected to the secret societies of Lagos . It is widely believed that Eyo is the forerunner of the modern day carnival

Brazilian Carnival

The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival," from carnelevare, "to remove meat." Carnival celebrations...

 in Brazil. On Eyo Day, the main highway in the heart of the city (from the end of Carter Bridge to Tinubu Square) is closed to traffic, allowing for procession from Idumota to Iga Idunganran

Iga Idunganran

Iga Idunganran is the Official Residence of the Oba of Lagos, situated on Lagos Island. It is also a tourist attraction.-History:The Lagos Island was originally owned by Aromire, an Ile-Ife nobleman, who used it as a fishing post. The ancient palace was initially built around 1630 and the modern...

. The white-clad Eyo masquerades represent sprits of the dead, and are referred to as "agogoro Eyo" (literally: "tall Eyo").
The first procession in Lagos was on 20 February 1854, to commemorate Oba

Oba of Lagos

The Oba of Lagos is the traditional, yet ceremonial, sovereign of Lagos, a historical Yorubano-Bini kingdom that went on to become one of the largest cities in Africa after first giving its name to Lagos State, the acknowledged financial heart of contemporary Nigeria...

 Akintoye

Akintoye

Akintoye was the 11th Oba of Lagos. He was a grandson of former Oba Ologun Kutere. He ruled from 1841 to 1845, when he was deposed by his nephew Kosoko, and was reinstated with the help of British troops to rule from 1851 to his death in 1853.- Biography :...

.

Here, the participants all pay homage to the Oba

Oba (ruler)

Oba is a West African synonym for monarch, one that is usually applied to the Yoruba and Edo rulers of the region. It is also often used by their traditional subjects to refer to other kings and queens, such as Elizabeth I of England, in their native languages.-Edo account of the word's origin:The...

 (King) of Lagos. Eyo festival takes place whenever occasion and tradition demand, but it is usually held as the final burial rites for a highly regarded chief.

Among the Yorubas

Yoruba people

The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...

, the indigenous religions have largely given way to Christianity and Islam, but the old festivals are still observed. The traditional leaders of the Yorubas are the Obas, who live in palaces and govern along with a council of ministers. The Obas' position is now mainly honorary, and their chiefly role is during the observance of the festivals.

Order of events

A full week before the festival (always a Sunday), the ‘senior’ eyo group, the Adimu (identified by a black broad-rimmed hat), goes public with a staff, when this happens it means the event would take place on the following Saturday. Each of the four other ‘important’ ones—Laba (Red), Oniko (yellow), Ologede (Green), Agere (Purple)—in this very order take their turns from Monday to Thursday.

Prohibited Item List

Here is a list of Prohibited Items at the festival:

• Okada
  Okada (commercial motorcycle)
  Okada refers to commercial motorcycles used as vehicles for hire in Nigeria. The name Okada was borrowed from Okada Air, a now defunct local airline in Nigeria.-Naming:...
  
  : commercial motorcycles


• Bicycles


• Sandals


• Suku: A hairstyle that has the hair converged at the middle and then shoots upward but tips downward.


• Smoking

The masquerades beat people who use any of the prohibited items at sight with their staffs.