Hey friends! Beautiful day to you! This is the second edition of my Funny African Customs Series where I highlight for your reading pleasure/pressure some funny African customs.
I had spoken more on Africa and her customs in the first edition, I had said:
Africa is a vast continent with very many different peoples, ethnic groups, languages and very different cultures. The cultural diversity is really striking if you decide to take a look at it, and these cultures are so numerous and varying that you'll surely be thrilled!
I never like it when I hear generalizations about Africa, because Africa is really diversified. One general description or perception can hardly ever fit as the variance is overwhelming.
The ways of the little Village next to yours can be so different from the ways of your own people even when the proximity is similar to that between two teeth in your mouth! Even the languages can be very different when they are but two neighboring villages as close as two nuts in the same shell.
Did you know there is even a Village in Cross River State of Nigeria, where the male folks have a different language from the female folks? But they're all in the same village? And inter-marrying and inter-you-know-what (wink) in the same village?
How do they communicate, you ask? Well, that would be covered by some other story on some other day.
The first edition was about a boy who had to eat a mouse š, you can read about it here
That one was very funny, you'd really love it that you checked it out.
OK! I found out that some of these customs may not be funny enough on their own, and even if the particular custom is funny enough on its own I could always make it funnier, there's always room for improvement , remember?
What I'm saying in essence is that presentation matters, and that's why I've decided to present today's funny custom with this picture story:
Today's funny custom is a fart related custom, it is mostly practised by the Igbos of Nigeria. I'm an Igbo myself, so you're hearing this from the - I'm not sure I'll like to be called a horse though, let's chose another animal for me real quick. Hey, did I just hear you suggest Whale? Ah, thank you āŗ. OK, I'm an Igbo myself, so you're hearing this from the Whale's mouth (straight face).
Alright, I'm going to be telling this one with this picture story:
And it goes like this: I'm a Law Student at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. My school is in Enugu but my family is based in Calabar. Everytime I go home during a holiday my little brothers would be all over me, bombarding me with general questions, both to test me and for their knowledge's sake.
Me? I always answer them with zest! Check me out:
Me:
And that's how I went on overcoming all their questions and stuff. But this boy's would not stop. Then it started getting exhausting.
And that was how they wore me out:
Then one day I happened to be releasing some of the deadliest farts in recent history
So I hid in a quiet corner of the compound where I would not hurt my loved ones.
And I farted the day away
But there came my little brother, to this hiding place, to ask me some more questions.
I knew he was going to get paid his dues in full, so I didn't warn him
Which brings us to today's funny custom, Ladies and gentlemen, I had told you it was fart related, remember? The custom is that when a person older than you farts you're not supposed to lay any complaints about the fact that they just farted. You're not even supposed to act like you know they farted. That is the custom in Igboland. If you ever act like you're unhappy the elder farted you'd be looked down on, like a poorly trained and uncivilized person. š
back to the story:
And that was when it hit him!
I saw he was feeling the vibes, so I explained more to keep him around.
He said:
But I wasn't letting him off yet:
He says again:
But who was going to let him go? Definitely not me. He tries to walk away, but:
I grab his hand.
Ain't no where to run to.
More explanations instead, coupled with a little more bombs:
OK?
It was a bit too much for bro, and down went bro:
š š š
So that's it for today!
A younger person can't show any sign of discomfort when an elder farts.
A variance of this custom I've found is that when an elder farts, you the younger one should congratulate him or say something like "Well-done". Can you imagine that?
But well, let it be known that this is an old custom and it's only currently being practised by a few, and the elder has to be very old before this custom would be followed. My little brother would have never taken such from me in real life!
Thanks so much for dropping by! Your reading this means so much to me! Kisses!
Credit to: Victory Eluu and Blessed Eluu, my little brothers, for featuring and holding the camera.
Other Posts By The Same Author:
I'm currently doing a collaboration with @katharsisdrill, a Danish artist where I write some stories and he illustrates it with beautiful art! You really should check it out!
Here is the Introduction to the collaboration
And Here is the first fruit!
