Hello Hive Family.. hope you're all doing well? It's yours truly 
When we arrived the stadium was already buzzing with life, thousands of people were dressed in their traditional dresses and the air was already filled with excitement. People of all ages from far and near came out in full for this event.
The event was mainly for showcasing the Igbo cultural heritage. In a world where our young people are increasingly drawn to foreign cultures, seeing this many Nigerians choosing to honor their heritage filled my heart with hope. So many people shy way from showcasing where they come from. But they forgot that culture is our natural heritage. The royal kings and chieftaincy holders were all present and it was not short of joy to behold. As as Igbo girl I couldn't feel more prouder than how I felt today. The igbo people are one of the largest ethnic group in Nigeria. It compromises five states which are, Imo, Enough, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra State. With population of over 30 million people. And our official language is Igbo language.
When the main celebration began on the ground floor of the stadium, the entire crowd rose to their feet.
This is the show of respect to traditional leaders in Igbo land. You know that deep stirring in the chest when you see your culture on full display and your body responds before your mind does? That was the feeling.
People were waving, recording, cheering. The performers in their red and white cultural costumes filled the arena with life and movement. Drums echoed across the stadium. The sound alone was enough to make my day.
I stood there among strangers who felt like family, because culture has a way of doing that. It takes people who have never met and reminds them that they share the same root. It started with prayers and cutting of colanut, yeah I wasn't able to capture that, as it was done at the High table which was very far from me with the crowd covering the process. After that other activities followed suit.
At the end of the event, we were reminded that" oburu na- anyi chefuo ebe anyi si, anyi agaghi ama ebe anyi na-aga" meaning
"If we forget where we come from, we will not know where we are going." Our culture is not a costume or something to be ashamed of. It is our soul. It is our natural heritage. And it is worth every effort to keep it alive.
VERSI脫N EN ESPA脩OL 馃嚜馃嚘
Our Culture, Our Heritage | Nuestra Cultura, Nuestra Herencia
Hola, familia Hive... 驴c贸mo est谩n? Soy
Cuando llegamos, el estadio ya estaba lleno de vida; miles de personas vest铆an sus trajes tradicionales y el ambiente rebosaba de emoci贸n. Gente de todas las edades, de cerca y de lejos, acudi贸 en masa a este evento.
El evento ten铆a como objetivo principal mostrar la herencia cultural igbo. En un mundo donde nuestros j贸venes se sienten cada vez m谩s atra铆dos por culturas extranjeras, ver a tantos nigerianos honrando su herencia me llen贸 de esperanza. Mucha gente se averg眉enza de mostrar de d贸nde viene, pero olvidan que la cultura es nuestra herencia natural. Los reyes y jefes tradicionales estaban presentes, y el ambiente era de una alegr铆a inmensa. Como chica igbo, no podr铆a sentirme m谩s orgullosa que hoy. El pueblo igbo es uno de los grupos 茅tnicos m谩s grandes de Nigeria. Comprende cinco estados: Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi y Anambra, con una poblaci贸n de m谩s de 30 millones de personas. Nuestro idioma oficial es el igbo.
Cuando comenz贸 la celebraci贸n principal en la planta baja del estadio, toda la multitud se puso de pie.
Este es un homenaje a los l铆deres tradicionales de la tierra igbo. 驴Conoces esa profunda emoci贸n que sientes al ver tu cultura en todo su esplendor y c贸mo tu cuerpo reacciona antes que tu mente? Esa fue la sensaci贸n.
La gente saludaba, grababa y vitoreaba. Los artistas, con sus trajes tradicionales rojos y blancos, llenaban el estadio de vida y movimiento. Los tambores resonaban por todo el recinto. El sonido por s铆 solo bastaba para alegrarme el d铆a.
Me encontraba all铆, entre desconocidos que se sent铆an como familia, porque la cultura tiene ese poder. Toma a personas que nunca se han conocido y les recuerda que comparten la misma ra铆z. Comenz贸 con oraciones y el corte de la nuez de cola; no pude capturarlo, ya que se realiz贸 en la mesa principal, muy lejos de m铆, con la multitud cubriendo el proceso. Despu茅s, siguieron otras actividades.
Al final del evento, nos recordaron: "oburu na- anyi chefuo ebe anyi si, anyi agaghi ama ebe anyi na-aga", que significa:
"Si olvidamos de d贸nde venimos, no sabremos ad贸nde vamos". Nuestra cultura no es un disfraz ni algo de lo que avergonzarse. Es nuestra alma. Es nuestra herencia natural. Y vale la pena hacer todo lo posible por mantenerla viva.