by Yemi Adesanya

 

Nigerians had two work-free days recently, on June 26 and 27, to mark Eid-el-Fitr – a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims everywhere at the end of Ramadan. Although the religious activities marking the days were observed in the country on Saturday or Sunday, the custom is for the federal government to declare a work day for each holiday that falls on a weekend.

This provided an opportunity for recuperation to those who observed the month-long fast, but even many non-Muslim workers welcomed the opportunity to unwind and spend time with their family or visit Muslim friends. However, many voiced their reservations on government’s generosity with these holidays. Some observed that even more developed countries that one could say have earned their rest do not have as many work-free days as we do. Entrepreneurs would like to increase workers’ productivity, of course, while it is the weekday-off-for-a-weekend-holiday custom that irks others. 54% of respondents to a Twitter poll said they want more public holidays while 46% said we already have too many. We observe many national holidays already, mostly important ones in the history of our nation (e.g. October 1–independence anniversary, May 29–Democracy day). And although we pay lip service to being a secular nation, Christian and Islamic religious holidays also feature prominently on our national calendar.

The dictionary defines holiday as a “day free from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event”. Holidays come in various forms and serve different functions: In addition to religious observances and days of historical or national significance, they can be engineered to drive commitment to shared values. In fact, holidays are said to exhibit negative correlation with societal disintegration. Therefore, as Nigeria strives to overcome the current turbulence on its nation-building sail, we need new national rituals, and more holidays but of a different variety.

The word ritual generally carries a scary negative connotation in our society, but beyond the gory imagery that they evoke, they also describe a “set of actions that are conducted routinely in the same manner, being part of an established routine”. Many families have them: For some, it is an annual family party on December 26, or presentation of a self-portrait to a family member when they clock 40. Rituals serve as mechanisms for sustaining familial bonds through shared meanings and experiences, and reinforced value systems. Holidays and rituals can therefore help foster national integration by building and cementing social bonds, reinforcing common values, promoting and communicating moral and social order.

In addition to national anniversaries and religious recommitment holidays, mores reinforcement and heritage appreciation holidays are needed in Nigeria. National orientation can begin from occasions that symbolize and uphold society’s commitment to values, and from showcasing attributes and artifacts that make us unique. It is for these reasons that I have put together 35 new informal/unofficial national holidays.

The best part is that work does not have to stop to mark these informal holidays, whereas the commemorations can drive important public conversations on our values as a people, and on those attributes that make us special. The holidays are as follows:

SN	Unofficial/Informal Holiday / Observance	Date
1	National Thank Your Nanny Day On this day, we appreciate the contribution of nannies, housekeepers and domestic caregivers who support many families.	January 12
2	National Ankara Day We your colorful Ankara proudly on this day. We hope the government mandates organizations in Nigeria to recognize this day in their dress codes.	January 18
3	National Mechanic Day If you have machines to repair, you would appreciate these men and women. Especially those who fix our cars. What would life be without them? We celebrate the honest and hardworking ones on this day.	January 30
4	National Pedestrians’ Day This is a day set aside for motorists to yield the right of way to pedestrians. Extra care should be taken to stop at zebra crossing.	February 6
5	National Suya Day We don’t think any other nation of the world makes Suya like we do. This is the day set aside to appreciate our delicious evening snack and favourite Suya spots.	February 16
6	National Police Appreciation Day These men and women put themselves on the line to keep our nation free from crime. We know they need to do more, but on this day, we appreciate those who are serving the nation conscientiously.	February 27
7	National Tourism Weekend There are wonderful tourist attractions waiting to be discovered in various parts of our country. We set aside this day to showcase them, and to get around to visiting some.	1st Weekend in March
8	National Diversity Day A day to celebrate the diverse people and culture of Nigeria. Citizens are encouraged to tweet their state/village of origin and their current home state/location. This is to encourage national cohesion.	March 15
9	Roast The Government Day This is the day set aside for providing feedback to all tiers and arms of government through sarcastic, witty and satiric remarks.	March 26
10	National In-law Day Celebrate your in-laws on this day. They are the family you chose with your spouse.	April 15
11	Maternal Mortality Day According to UNICEF, every day, Nigeria loses 145 women of childbearing age, making the country the 2nd largest contributor to maternal mortality rate in the world. This is the day to call attention to this sad state of affairs.	April 30
12	National Lazy Saturday 1st Weekend in May. This is a day for everyone to laze around, for relaxation, rest and recreation.	1st Weekend in May
13	Informal Greeting Day Ours is a country with huge power distance. On the informal greeting day, we encourage citizens to say “How are you”, or “What’s up” to those to whom they would otherwise not dare. A hi-five is also in order.	May 10
14	National Debate Day This is a day set aside for important national conversations and public debates.	May 28
15	National Forgiveness Day This follows June 12 and is the day on which citizens are encouraged to forgive and reconcile with those who have erred or wronged them, in the spirit of love and national reconciliation.	June 13
16	National Corn On The Cob Day On this day, we celebrate the sweetness and freshness of corn, eaten boiled or roasted. Citizens are encouraged to enjoy the national staple on this day, on the cob.	June 30
17	National Sleepover Day A day set aside for sleeping over at friends’.	Last Friday in June
18	National Jollof Rice Day A day for celebrating a national delicacy that has become an international dish.	July 7
19	National Friendship Day (Aboki Day) Aboki is the Hausa word for friends. It is a day for the celebration of friendship.	July 15
20	National Know Your Neighbours Day (Day 1 of Hospitality Weekend) A day on which citizens, especially those in the urban centres and cities who often do not get to know their neighbours to socialize, and probably invite them over for BBQ on the following day.	Last Saturday in July
21	National Barbecue Sunday (Day 2 of Hospitality Weekend) Follows the National Know Your Neighbours Day. Citizens are encouraged to host their friends and neighbours to an evening of BBQ.	Last Sunday in July
22	National Family Dinner Day Citizens are encouraged to make it home early on this day, and enjoy dinner with their families.	August 6
23	National Creativity Day This is the day on which we celebrate creativity. Citizens are to celebrate creative ventures and people in their locality, and to encourage and promote creativity in one another.	August 10
24	National Nkwobi Day The bowl is deep, the bowl is shallow; many Nigerians know not to play with Nkwobi.	August 29 –
25	National No Litter Day This is the one day chosen every year to remind ourselves not to litter the environment. This is our home, let’s keep it litter free.	September 4
26	National Yam Day This is the day set aside for the celebration of various kinds of yam grown and eaten in the country.	September 12
27	National Vernacular Day This is the day for the celebration of our numerous indigenous languages. Citizens are encouraged to speak their local languages.	September 22
28	National Palmwine Day This is the day for the celebration of Palm Wine, a favourite local alcoholic drink.	Last Saturday in September
29	National Birth Control Day Our population is growing fast, and many are advocating for a conscious choice of family size, in response to available capacity and resources. On this day, we call attention to our population and the need to make conscious choices on birth control.	October 7
30	Indigenous Music Day Celebration of indigenous music and our local musicians. This is commemorated on Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s birthday.	October 15
31	National Decluttering Day On this day, you should clean up your home, and give out old things you no longer need. Visit orphanages and charity homes to give them these items. One man’s clutter is another man’s treasure.	Last Saturday in October
32	National Danfo Day What is there to celebrate about these guys, you say? They keep the wheels of commerce oiled in our nation. We set aside this day to celebrate them, and to encourage them to be better road users.	November 3
33	National Pepper Soup Day This is the day set aside for enjoying a nice bowl of pepper soup.	November 20
34	National Feedback Day National day for providing objective feedback to important people in your life.	December 10
35	National Energy Saver Day Citizens are reminded of the need to conserve energy and turn off unused appliances on this day.	December 20

 

Holidays and rituals become an important part of culture and custom with repeated observance. With time, some may come to be associated with commercial activities and carnivals, exciting feasts or unique ways of dressing and acting. As the number of participants increase, so will the commitment and passion they evoke, and so will their impact in affirming national identity.

Just like religious faithfuls recommit themselves to their religious beliefs during their rituals and observances, one hopes that Nigerians can find useful rallying points around these fun unofficial national holidays.

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Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija

Yemi Adesanya is an accountant and risk manager in the financial services industry. She is the inventor of The Game of Giants and Jungle card games, and the author of Musings of a Tangled Tongue, a collection of poems. She lives in Lagos, Nigeria and tweets as @toyosilagos.