What Are Cultural Taboos In Your Village Or Area?

Nigeria has a lot of cultural and traditional beliefs and taboos. Some are actively practiced while others are dormant and are not necessarily practiced presently.

•For example in the Ibibio tribe using the left hand actively is a form of insult and seen as a form of negativity ,such as using the left hand to give or accept something and even using the left hand to eat.

• In the past, Ladies especially the pregnant women were not allow to look into Masquerade in the face otherwise she will born a baby that resembles Masquerade. But nowadays you will find ladies taking a photo shot with the Masquerade.

The taboos are not the same, they vary in ethnicity. Here are some examples:

•In the Eke-Idemilli area of the Ibo land, its a taboo to kill any form of snake.

•The Awka people do not allow the killing on their monkeys, although this is not widely practiced in Ibo land generally.

•Suicide in some parts of Ibo land also is a taboo, and the family would be the ones to pay the penalty if anyone commits suicide.

•In some areas of Idoma land, when the king dies, its a taboo to mourn at the funeral.

•In some parts of Yoruba land , its a taboo for pregnant women to go near a corpse.

•In some parts of Benin, displaying palm fruits in public is a taboo , rumors have it that one could even loose his or her head.

•Some parts of Igbo land forbids eating of yam in the month of August.

•In some parts of Urhobo Delta State, cutting of fire wood at night when the moon is full is forbidden, rumors have it that such a person could become a statue.

All these myths are just a traditional mans theory to find some meaning to existence. A scientist would call it typical hypothesis that can never be proved. This must have been created when man had total fear of the unknown and still tried to understand the universe.

Share any cultural taboo you know about in Nigeria here;