However, when you hear someone mention owambe, 99 times out of a 100, chances are they mean a lavish and flamboyant party characterised by a show of luxury, lavish spending, colour, extravaganza, lots of food, music, dance and sometimes networking; exactly what I mean in this light-hearted article.
Owambe is peculiar to people from the western part of Nigeria, particularly the Yoruba culture. I believe it’s because the Yorubas are regarded as a party-loving people who would seize most opportunities for celebrations: birthdays, house-warmings, naming, reunions, office promotion, winning a new contract, funerals and most especially weddings. Probably why some say that Nigerians are the happiest people on earth, yet I sometimes wonder maybe they meant the Yorubas as no other region of the country seems to have the same appetite for relaxation and having a good time as them.
However, this predilection for parties and all its characteristics seem to have spread to other parts of the countries as well. If you doubt me, just remember aso ebi, which has become a fixed feature of literally every party in Nigeria. Everybody knows that aso ebi is one of the defining features of any owambe. In a wedding, for instance, you have aso ebi for the friends of the groom, another aso ebi for the friends of the bride, a different set of aso ebi for the groom’s family, another for the bride’s family. The mother of the bride will get her friends to buy their own aso ebi as will do the mother of the groom, her sister, like that like that. The result is an ambience of beauty and colour, and one can tell just by looking at a person’s aso ebi their relationship to the celebrants.
One of the things that make it so easy to embrace an aso ebi is that it can be sewn using any material, although most people tend to settle for either lace or Ankara material. Moreover, guests are free to use the material to sew any style of their choice, so there is individuality in the midst of the uniform. Also, aso ebi often time serves as good souvenirs for the family members and friends as they return to their different bases after the party. In general, the larger the owambe, the more successful it is perceived to have been.
When invited to an owambe, you want to feel good about the experience even if you didn’t get any food or souvenir at the end of the party. It’s not uncommon to see people who come away from an owambe with regrets, and you definitely don’t want to fall into that category. The key is in your preparation and conduct so I have put up for you, this foolproof etiquette guide for successfully attending an owambe sans regret.
So here goes: your foolproof etiquette guide for attending an owambe.
1. Never be on time for an Owambe
You don’t want to get to the venue and wait endlessly before the real party begins. It could be boring and don’t forget the venue might still be undergoing certain decorations.
2. Fill your stomach at home before getting to that party
This cannot be over-emphasised. If you cannot fight the waiters and caterers over jollof rice, amala and assorted meats, eat at home before hitting the party venue. This is especially important as it seems gone are the days when all you have to do at an owambe is just to show up, sit, eat and drink. Not anymore. More and more ‘party throwers’ are operating a ‘no aso ebi no food policy’, so if by any chance you find yourself not wearing an aso ebi, chances are you might not be getting any food.
3. Don’t spend more than you can afford on aso ebi
If the couple is not a close friend or relatives kindly decline. You don’t want to inconvenient your pocket for some certain kind of people and still not get jollof rice at the same time. It’s also pretty annoying when celebrants turn the aso ebi into an impromptu business opportunity of charging as much as three times the value of the material. Not nice. So, let you pocket dictate the truth. If you can’t afford it, decline politely. No shame in that.
4. No Invitation equals no Owambe
Stay at home! Stay at home! And please stay at home! You don’t want to embarrass your ancestors where you are not needed. It is not your wedding! It doesn’t matter if the groom is the second cousin of your father’s brother in law or that your mother went to school with the friend of an aunt of the bride’s cousin. No invite? Just respect your own dignity and stay away from the venue.
5. Elegance
If you are not the waiter, or the caterer, or the cleaner, then it is expedient to dress well. Prior to the owambe invest in elegant accessories, clothes, shoes and bags. For the guys, polish your shoes and be sure that your attire is well-tailored and ironed.
6. Stick to the colour code
If you were not able to buy the aso ebi for one reason or the other, let’s do ourselves a big favour and stick to the colour code. You don’t want to be the odd one out, looking uninvited and lost.
7. Bear some gifts with you
Always take gifts with you to an owambe. It is VERY important. It is a basic etiquette to take gifts whenever you are attending a party. Yes, I know you bought the outrageously priced aso ebi, but well, it is an unwritten owambe etiquette and you don’t want to break the rule.
8. Wear comfortable shoes
You don’t want to walk across the hall like a minute old calf. Moreover, what’s the use of attending an owambe without hitting on the dance floor at some time during the party and you would want to comfortably sway in time with the sound of the music, not to suffer aching toes and ankles?
Use these tips and thank me later.
Did I miss anything? Please share with us in the comment section.
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