In  Nigerian culture, food is not just a means of sustenance but is also part of our way of life. Our food is a reflection of who we are as a people and how we relate to the environment around us, and so if that is true- which I strongly believe it is- I want to rant about how our food for festive events is nothing special. 

 To be clear, I am not implying that Nigerian food isn’t special, we all know that’s cap. But you know how Americans have turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy meal for thanksgiving? We don’t have anything like that in Nigeria. We don’t have a special meal that’s sort of made especially for festive seasons. And while westerners are not exactly the standard for anything, least of all food, I do think Nigerian food should have something reserved for festive seasons. 

The most obvious difference I can point out is the change in the quantity of food prepared. Christmas and other festive seasons are usually spent with family or spent hosting friends. Obviously, the quantity of food would be significantly larger than what you cook when it’s just you or just you and your immediate family. This comes with its own struggles, what with spending hours in the kitchen, slicing and dicing, cutting and stewing. Thank goodness it can be outsourced, right? Unless of course, you find cooking large amounts of food relaxing. But I digress. 

The average Nigerian meal during parties of festive seasons consists of either jollof or fried rice coupled with meat, maybe a salad, swallows- especially pounded yam and a whole chicken, goat or ram. It’s the same thing for Muslim holidays, people who celebrate those, tend to stick to serving mutton- which in their defence has a religious foundation and reason. But talking about meat also reminds me that apart from salads, there’s really no other option for people who are vegetarian or vegan in Nigeria during the holidays and I feel like we need to look more into that. Margaret agrees. 

Like I mentioned above, Nigerian food is elite and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but we need to be more imaginative and considerate of others(vegans, vegetarians, Muslims to which some things are haram, and allergies.) when it comes to food, especially in seasons like this, where it is important for people to spend time with their family and friends.

 It’s a pretty special time of the year for a lot of people, and I think that it’s possible to make it a bit more special by creating something meaningful to us as Nigerians and making sure it’s something every Nigerian young or old, can enjoy and relate to. Happy New Year!