ỌNWA DECEMBA!

Human beings are very astonishing. I drew this comment from the very fact that the differences entrenched in their lives give great meanings to them in their particularity. This is the very reason why a particular thing is understood differently and used as such in different places. Even when there seems to be a universal meaning behind a thing, it must have differences of understanding and attitudes towards it according to different peoples. Based on this I continue to praise the Manufacturer of all beings.
 

December is the last month of the year according to the disciplinary matrices we are using in our epistemic community. And according to my great mentor Richard Rorty (heavily influenced by Kuhn) December shall continue to be so until an anomaly comes up causing a sense of burgeoning crises among us. Thus, by December, one’s mind flashes to the 31-day month that ends of the year. December has always been very exceptional among all the months of the year. I must point out here that these attitudes or associations of December were not given to us by December itself; rather we are the creators of the nature of December. In other words, human beings have given several natures to this month making it unique through their different practices and cultures. 

The Christian community in the world of human beings have taken December to be the month when they remember the birth of their greatest hero Jesus Christ who came so many years ago to redeem mankind. Principally on 25^th of the month, they celebrate without a finish the memorial of the birth of Jesus Christ. While they will go visit the churches for the religious aspect of the celebration, the social aspect will never cease to have visitors like fowls (which according to my friend are now for sale in their community), meats of domestic animals and wild animals for those who are strong, rice of various clothes such as stewed, jollof or fried. And of course drinks are not left out. Although some of the Muslims celebrate with their Christian colleagues, they themselves take it as an ordinary day. But within those who celebrate this period, the celebration will never end until the first week of the New Year.

As I said earlier, Christmas and December are understood slightly differently by a special group of people. This people are not special because of any ontological supreme quality. They are special simply because they interpret things specially and differently too. This people describe the last month of the year not just as “December” but as Ọnwa Decemba. You may know this people but you may not know why they prefer this description than the general one. This people are the IGBOS! IGBO KWENU! HEI! KWEZUONU! HEIIIIIIIII! This is just them. Citeris Paribus,, they are always happy and celebrative. Because I want to tell you why and how they regard this month as Ọnwa Decemba, just check what follows here.

Ọnwa is the Igbo word for month. Hence, we have Ọnwa January, Ọnwa April, etc. But the Ọnwa of Decemba is very different in the whole “Ọnwas” according to the Igbo’s understanding of the calendar. Ọnwa Decemba is a period of rest just as others see it. For the Igbo, it is primarily a time when people cease from work and rejoin with their families extended and nuclear but more of the extended. To this effect, there is usually a visit paid to the village and other places where one will reunite with the people he or she has not met with since Ọnwa January as the case may be.

In the meeting with friends and relatives, the Igbo consider it very necessary to visit the church for thanksgiving to God for all his blessings. This is mostly done by those who have the mind and power. In doing this, the whole family and all relatives will accompany the person to Church for Thanksgiving which will terminate in the house for the second part of the celebration. In the churches, there is usually the fund-raising program where the rich will tell those around that they have indeed arrived home for the Christmas.

Also, Ọnwa Decemba is highly treasured by students and workers because during this period, academic work is suspended for another time in Ọnwa January. Serious students will never abandon their works completely as some of the still give some time to their studies. But majority of them make sure that the books are locked very well in school and will be seen after resumption by Ọnwa January.  

A very significant event that makes this Ọnwa Decemba unique is the social activities that take place in the communities. One of them is the usual community’s football competitions which usually bring people together in the football field as they come to feed their eyes with the events. I must say that this social event is the basis of all other social life that takes place during this period. With the football competition bringing people together, there is this desire to “show off”. This is the desire to publicly display one’s wealth and riches. Particularly done by the youths, they have their expensive cars and wears paraded in such an arena. Although they do this in other social gatherings even in the church, the one exhibited during the football competition is more. With their late arrival and the loud tones of their records, they draw people’s attention to themselves. 

The desire to show off and display one’s wealth has regrettably contributed to some decadence in the society. The youths pursue the wealth to be displayed end up involving themselves in crimes. This is the case with incessant kidnappings, armed robbery, and ritual killings during this period of Ọnwa Decemba.

Before I drop the pen, I want to say that the poor in the society long for Christmas when people of goodwill will remember them. Thanks to such people. While this period is aimed at arriving at a joyful experience and holiday, some people make it unfriendly for others. But over and above any Igbo person wherever he or she may be longs for Ọnwa Decemba.

Nwanyanwu  Chris