Odo Masquerade Festival

Odo masquerade festival
A Ngwo odo
StatusActive
GenreFestivals
FrequencyEvery Two years
LocationEnugu State
CountryNigeria

Odo masquerade festival is a masquerade festival Celebrated in some parts of Enugu State the South-eastern part of Nigeria.[1] It is an annual festival holding every two years, At time when the dead are believed to return in masked form to their families and community.[2]

Historical origin

Odo comes from the word "Odomagana" meaning "masquerade" in some parts of Igboland.[3] Odo is celebrated mostly in the Ngwo clan,[4] the Ebe people and the Ojebe Ogene clan,[5] and some parts of the Ezeagu and Nsukka regions.[6]

References

  1. ^ Clarke, Rex (2024-02-21). "Odo Masquerade Festival Enugu 2024: Celebrating Igbo Heritage". Rex Clarke Adventures. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  2. ^ Igbani, Sophia (2024-05-27). "The Mystique of Odo Festival in Igboland". Unveiling the Beauty of Igbo Heritage. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  3. ^ Clarke, Rex (2024-02-21). "Odo Masquerade Festival Enugu 2024: Celebrating Igbo Heritage". Rex Clarke Adventures. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  4. ^ Eze, Martin (2021-03-17). "Ngwo Celebrates Odo Masquerade Festival". Goge Africa. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  5. ^ "allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Chime Attends Ebe Igodo Festival". allafrica.com. Archived from the original on 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  6. ^ Reed, Bess; Hufbauer, Benjamin (2005). "Ancestors and Commemoration in Igbo Odo Masquerades". RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics (47): 135–152. ISSN 0277-1322.