I hope your weekend was beautiful and stress-free.
It's really been a while since I went on a walk, that is because the semester is slowly coming to an end. The test has commenced and exams are in a month's time.
I believe it's important to do the right things at the right time to avoid any regrets or failures.
However, yesterday was really beautiful and lively for me, I wanted to step out a little and get some fresh air and also feed my eyes with Christmas decorations that are all over the streets and stores.
The place I had in mind was bit far from where I live and I didn't want to go there alone. So after speaking to a friend, she told me she's bored at home and would like to go out too.
Map from Google
Uyo Christmas Village
It was almost nighttime when we finally arrived, and I felt a bit disappointed because there were so many beautiful crafts that I would have loved to take pictures of. But it was too dark, and my phone's touch couldn't perform all its magic.
Nevertheless, I took my time to explore at least half of the place and admire the various displays of art, food, games, and culture.
This place is called the Christmas Village, and it's a popular place located in the south-south of Nigeria, specifically in Akwa Ibom state. Every December, the government decorates the place and invites different ethnic groups from the state to showcase their unique cultures.
It also serves as a great opportunity for small traders and chefs to make good sales with their products.
As I mentioned earlier, it was already nighttime, so I could only capture photos of the displays that had good lighting around them.
While strolling around, I saw a place that is set aside for cultural houses, just from the name Village Square.
I was curious to know what it looked like. So we entered the space and got fascinated by the beautiful materials made from nature.
The first house I saw was that of a palm fruit harvester. Though I didn't see any palm fruit one can tell from the rope and hat used in harvesting palm fruits. And those brooms make it's a home.
The display is from Ikono local government people.
We went a bit further and found another good sight.
This place was interesting. They call it Raffia House. Everything inside and out of the house is made of raffia. Raffia items are those items that are made from palm fronds (leaves from palm trees). We have a lot of palm trees in Africa, so I was happy to see them make bags, shoes, baskets, chairs, etc from it.
I discovered that the items were on sale. People had fun buying them. This reminds me of some of the raffia objet d’art we have at home. My dad has like two in his sitting room, I don't know how beautiful that is but he likes it, and his visitors like them too.
A few meters from there was the Ekpo cultural display. I learned that there was a performance from them in the daytime, and I was disappointed to miss the opportunity of watching the Masquereds that wouldn't find trouble with its audience.
The yellow palm fronds and the flat-carved masks make it both fun and scary.
It's obvious these people make a lot of money from selling here. Because everybody feels like they must eat and drink before leaving this place. I also felt the same, but I suppressed it and ended up with a tasty barbecue and drinks.
All the kids loved it here. There were so many Christmas things to buy. Ranging from hats to shoes, bangles, rings, etc. Some children were throwing tantrums here and there.
“Daddy I want this one”
“Daddy this one is fine”.
One was really screaming “Mummy please buy!”.
Well, I can understand because I was once a child who loved Christmas things.
There were shows of all kinds, cultural dance, comedies, kids with talents, funny quizzes, and competitions.
This is a nice place to enjoy this season. I'm hoping to visit back in the daytime so I will be able to explore satisfactorily and take more photos.
This is currently the most busiest and crowded place in my state. I hope you like the photos you see as much as I loved taking them.
Thanks for reading.
Let's anticipate a Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
!BBH
!PIZZA
Thank you so much❤️🤗
Merry Christmas!!! 🌟
Woooo it's a beautiful site😍, I love the decorations and ornaments. I'm happy you had fun. It's true sometimes we need quality time with family and friends and more so in this season. 😊
Yes, dear. I'm glad you love something from here.
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Akwa ibom, is one of the most beautiful state in Nigeria, I would love to visit, I love the amazing decoration and crafts ❤️❤️
Thank you Drey.
You are free to visit us, anytime, any day.
It's always interesting to get a glimpse of another culture. Honestly, I wish there was something to this extent where I live. The whole carnival feel looks super cozy and inviting. 😊
Sometimes we need to rest up to recharge our batteries. You did well to take a break from studying to rest at such a beautiful event. Good luck with your exams!
Thanks so much for wishing me well.
I had so much fun here, especially from the comedians.
I’m sorry to hear there’s no place like this around you. You can hangout with friends and still enjoy the season’s bliss.
Thanks for caring🥰❤️, Merry Christmas in advance!