Osun-Osogbo Festival:

          A Tradition Shared Across the High Seas

   The Osun-Osogbo festival is an event where Yoruba people and descendants alike come together for a celebration of good fortune under the goddess Osun. In Yoruba culture, many different gods and goddesses are worshipped for their critical role played in guiding life. Osun is the goddess of sweet water, love, and giving. The festival honoring her lasts for a duration of 2 weeks in the western part of Nigeria, where people of all cultural backgrounds and preferences come to pay homage to Osun. With that being said, the festival is known as an African diaspora religion due to the mix of individuals present as well as their unique experiences with the Yoruba religion.

   African diaspora is the result of the mass movement of African people to the New World during the years of the Atlantic slave trade. The new communities formed in the Americas from this event created what is known as African diaspora religion, or religion that stems from several related traditions brought together by the people who practiced them. The Osun-Osogbo festival is littered with traces of African diaspora because of the idea of syncretism. Syncretism is a matter of organization and unity that occurs following the displacement of differing cultures.

The Osun Osogbo festival commences with the lighting of an ancient lamp that represents the goddess Osun and the kingdoms that persist in the heart of Yoruba land. The town surrounds the lamp in the form of glee, dance, and music. Mass excitement expressed by traditionalists and non-traditionalists alike is awe-inspiring. The lighting of the lamp is the first instance of how the Osun-Osogbo festival is an example of African diaspora religion. That is due to the fact that the gathering of people who share a love of Osun are not all necessarily avid practitioners of the Yoruba lifestyle. Amazingly, the people who attend originate from several different continents! Their exposure to the religion in their respective countries brought them to the festival from near and far. Professor Badejo is a participant who traveled from the University of Baltimore in the United States. She remarks during the ceremony that, “It’s like St. Patrick’s Day, you don’t have to be Catholic to enjoy it”. The professor’s statement is telling of a diasporic nature about the festival, further proving that Yoruba culture influences people from all parts of the world.

Additionally, diasporic characteristics are found surrounding the festival from the story of Alafia and Oni. They are graduate students who make their first pilgrimage to the heart of Yoruba land to gain status as priestesses. In days, they transform themselves into a “bridge” between the real world and the goddess Osun. They use various objects such as the Bell of Osun in prayer beside the Sacred Grove to implement their newly founded devotion. The Grove is a spiritual spot set in a dense forest intersected by a meandering river, which thousands line on the final day of the festival to cement good fortune for the coming year. The bell used by Alafia and Oni is important because in order for their prayers to be heard, they must do so loudly by ringing it. Like the two graduates and many more, practitioners of this specific culture are present at the festival to revive hopes and dreams that may have dimmed over time. Professor Paul C. Johnson, an expert on African studies from the University of Michigan, provided a definition of diasporic religion that relates to the explained reasoning behind attending. That being, diaspora as an internalized conversion of consciousness among those involved. (pg. 518 para 3). Alafia and Oni traveled to Nigeria to take part in a conversion of their mindset, an adoption of a new way of life. In essence, they embody the very definition of diaspora.

The Osun-Osogbo festival is a symbol of resilience among other religions that dominate the worship community. The diasporic aspects of the extended ceremony can be realized through analyzing the specific people who attend from all corners of the world. The contagious energy of the celebration is a reminder that African culture is very much alive and experiencing a sort of renaissance. Set aside your pre-conceived notions of religion, and it is easy to see the complex devotion and awesomeness that exists among Yoruba culture.