How Nigerians Celebrate Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is a very special day around the world for mothers. We all celebrate motherhood. Nigeria is no exception. After all, mothers are the reason for our existence, and they deserve all the respect, attention, and love we can give. In Nigeria, Mother’s Day is celebrated in a unique way to appreciate the contributions of mothers. In general, we cherish and care so much about our mothers that on Mother’s Day we go the extra mile to celebrate.

This day is an opportunity for kids, both young and old to express their gratitude and make their mother’s feel special and also pay thanks for all her contributions in shaping their lives. During last year’s Mother’s Day, almost every Nigerian on social media posted pictures of his or her mother on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to celebrate and express the love they have for their mothers. It was somewhat like an explosion with mothers as the trending topic on the Internet in Nigeria.

Nigerian celebrities, comedians, actors, actresses and even individuals make all sorts of funny, emotional and dramatic videos all in the name of celebrating mothers. These videos get millions of views and are shared in every corner of the Internet. Watching these videos will let you have a glimpse of how Mother’s Day is being celebrated in Nigeria. Mothers with little kids take their kids to parks, malls or photo studios to take pictures while hugging or kissing their little kids to portray the joys of motherhood.

Mothers with grown-up kids, on the other hand, are showered with a lot of gifts by the kids to express their love and appreciation. These gifts ranges from gift boxes, flowers, luxury hampers, African prints, cakes and cards.

Nigerians are divided into two religious groups, Christians and Muslims. For this reason, Christians usually start their Mother’s Day celebration by going to the church where prayers are conducted. Families congregate in the church to celebrate and pray together. Afterwards, they proceed individually to different locations to continue their celebrations. Some go to the parks, malls, eateries and even beaches, where they eat, tell stories, laugh and take pictures.

Some Muslims perform various religious activities such as reading the Holy Quran, conducting fasting or having a congregational prayer for hours where an Imam is being called to pray for the mother. Muslims on the other hand start their Mother’s Day celebration at home where kids pray for their moms. Afterwards, families come together to have a party with cakes, food and drinks. Just like Christians, Muslims also go to places like parks, malls and eateries to celebrate with their moms, laugh and have fun.

On this special day, Mother’s in Nigeria often wear their best clothes which is mostly traditional clothes. Nigeria is a country with diverse cultures. The three main ethnic groups in Nigeria are Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba and most cultures have their own type of traditional clothing. Nigerian mothers usually wear clothing such as Ankara, Lace, Atampa or sometimes English Wears like jeans with a shirt or gowns. Before this special day, mothers buy materials that get sewed by a tailor to celebrate the occasion.

Because Nigeria is a country of over 200-million people, some of which are poor while others are extremely rich, how we celebrate Mother’s Day depends on income level. The rich go as far as throwing a party in luxurious places where celebrity musicians are invited to host the event. This is a glimpse of how Mother’s Day is being celebrated in Nigeria, unlike other countries around the world.