YORKTON – Nigeria was the focus of a Culture Days event held at the Parkland Mall Sept. 21.
Participants of the event created garments that would be used in a traditional Yoruba wedding. Yoruba is a West African ethnic group who mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin and Togo, as defined by Wikipedia.
"When you go to a Nigerian Yoruba wedding you put all this swag on and everybody shows up with what we call 'steeze' — style with ease," told Abiodun Adefolarin, instructor for the event, in an interview with SaskToday.ca
"So today we're showing people how to make your own swag with essentially fabric origami," added Adefolarin.
Participants were separated into two groups which included a bride side and a groom side, which were defined by the colour of the fabric they used to craft.
Games were played at the end of the instruction and participants were urged to use a 360 photo booth to show off their "steeze."
The event, prefaced with the words "Mo Gbo Mo Ya!" will yield results on Google that say the term means intruder, but Adefolarin said it holds a deeper meaning.
"In essence we found that Mo Gbo Mo Ya! in my culture means an intruder — an uninvited person. In our culture when we have events we prepare for everyone who is coming. If you are invited or uninvited you are welcome at the table," said Adefolarin.
"When we have events we will have extra for everybody. You're welcome — there's room at the table for you," added Adefolarin.
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