Celebrating Easter, Nigerian style

Major Godspower Anozie, an officer from the Nigeria Territory serving at THQ, tells us how Easter is celebrated in his homeland

EASTER is a time when Christian denominations are involved in spiritual activities to commemorate the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ and his triumphant resurrection. Nigerian churches are not left out of this worldwide event.

Easter activities in the country are characterised by spiritual retreats, solemn gatherings of different denominations and social funfairs in communities, cities and urban areas.

SPIRITUAL MEETINGS

Most Christian churches see the Easter season as the best time for digging deep into Scripture and for spiritual reflection to properly identify with Christ’s suffering, crucifixion and resurrection. It is in line with the apostle Paul’s desire in Philippians 3:10 and 11: ‘I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.’

The Easter outreach programme in the Abia District of eastern Nigeria

Easter is usually a time for intensive Bible study on what Christ’s suffering and death mean for all humankind. It is also a time for reflecting on what the believer’s attitude to our sinful world should be.

This is observed in a sombre mood, which tries to express the weight of Christ’s crucifixion pain for the redemption of humankind.

The Salvation Army in Nigeria is part of these activities, with most corps and divisions actively engaged in what are known as Easter Revival Campaign programmes. These are either organised at corps level or as joint divisional meetings, especially at Army centres in the eastern part of Nigeria.

Apart from a focus on the spiritual enrichment of Salvationists, the greater part of the programme involves outreach: door-to-door visitation, mass evangelism and Sunday morning open-air meetings.

Easter Day meetings are characterised by soul-lifting worship and joyful praise to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. In several gatherings part of the meeting is spent praising and dancing.

Christ’s death and resurrection are usually dramatised at various churches and mission outreaches. The events are also depicted by several television programmes, which help to reflect the mood of the season.

Easter Day services in most Nigerian churches, including the Army, are always filled with a rapturous spirit. The solemn worship at the start of the services and the joyful session of praising and dancing that follows are usually unforgettable moments.

Some indigenous Christian denominations conduct what are known as the Easter Monday Galilee visitations. These visitations, which are mostly in the western part of Nigeria, usually take place early in the morning on mountain sides or at places with rocks. It is assumed to be an encounter with the resurrected Lord, similar to the way Christ appeared to his disciples in Galilee after his resurrection.

SOCIAL FUNFAIRS

Funfairs take place at Easter, especially in the southern part of Nigeria, which is predominantly Christian. The government recognises Easter as one of the most significant religious activities by declaring Good Friday and Easter Monday as public holidays. People take advantage of this by engaging in a range of social activities.

Event centres, such as beaches, are always crowded with fun-seekers. Different kinds of carnival activities are organised in cities and rural areas. Comedians and musicians use the opportunity to organise talk shows, knowing that crowds will attend.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The Easter celebration brings with it a challenging economic effect, as there is usually a slight increase in the prices of food and transportation. Demand for food is high because people are seeking to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord in grand style. The slight increase in transportation cost, especially in the eastern part of Nigeria, is due to the higher number of people who like to travel to their local communities to attend social and family gatherings, which are considered to be suitable activities.

The Easter season in Nigeria is always an exciting time. Christians look forward to it and welcome it with joy. Sadly, this year the public events will be affected by the coronavirus outbreak, but those who know the Lord will still rejoice in their hearts.

MAJOR ANOZIE IS COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, THQ