Black Light -- The Face and Spirit of African Culture

Author: Song Qingqing, Li Shaohui
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Publishing Date: Not available
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2. The Honey Maturity Festival (also known as the "New Fruit Festival") is a unique and ancient folk tradition of the Ailili tribe in western Africa, Nigeria. It remains highly popular to this day. This festival marks the time when young girls enter their prime, allowing young men to come to pluck this "mature, fresh fruit," hence the name "New Fruit Festival." The Honey Maturity Festival is held every August. Before the Western calendar was introduced to Africa, the Ailili tribe determined the exact date of the festival based on the ripening of coconuts. The Honey Maturity Festival is the Ailili tribe's most solemn celebration, lasting for several days. During the festival, people pause all their work. To prepare for the event, every Ailili family cleans their houses, tidies their courtyards, and prepares abundant delicious food. On the day of the festival, all Ailili men and women, young and old, dress in festive attire and gather from all directions at the village square. People from neighboring tribes also come to witness the excitement. The young men are particularly lively, dressed in stylish and brightly colored ethnic clothing, standing at the forefront of the crowd, waiting for the girls to arrive. Though deeply anxious inside, they appear composed on the surface, greeting each other politely and speaking with restraint, avoiding behavior that might give the girls a bad impression. Girls idealize their future partners as "cheerful, dignified, intelligent, and respectful" young men. However, the most excited ones are the young girls entering adolescence. They are about to open the door to love, meet different genders, and choose a life partner. According to tradition, Ailili girls who have not yet reached adolescence must stay secluded, forbidden from contact with the opposite sex. Only when they reach maturity and receive the chief's approval can they participate in the "Honey Maturity Festival," choose a spouse, form a family, have children, serve their husbands, manage household affairs, and fulfill their duties as women. Therefore, in this culture, the Honey Maturity Festival is the most important event for girls, and they must prepare thoroughly. Some girls even start preparing years in advance. On the day of the festival, the most spirited activity is the girls' parade, where they display their beauty to the public. To attract the attention and admiration of the young men, the girls dress up in their finest attire. They wear beautiful clothes they have sewn themselves, tie colorful cloth around their waists, and adorn their necks and arms with necklaces and ornaments made of metal and shells. Steel bracelets and copper rings on their ankles shimmer in the sunlight and jingle melodiously as they walk! The girls curl their hair into numerous small braids, each tied with colorful ribbons, giving them a lively and vibrant appearance. To showcase their figures, the girls expose their chests and backs, adorning their shoulders and chests with colorful patterns that hold special meanings. They smile shyly, revealing their uncontrollable joy. When the girls arrive at the square in a procession, the crowd erupts in cheers. The young men gaze at the girls with devotion, carefully selecting their beloveds. The girls are surrounded by the crowd in the center of the square, dancing gracefully amidst the cheers. Some girls send secret glances to the young men they are fond of while dancing. After the dance, a large-scale parade begins. The procession starts from the square and circles the village, visiting the door of every household. The girls march in an orderly formation, flanked by guards armed with spears and dressed in ancient warrior costumes. At the forefront of the parade, a boy leads the way, carrying a bamboo basket on his head. The basket holds a live chicken, several eggs, and fresh palm leaves. A white cloth stained with blood is draped over the basket to protect the girls from evil spirits.