Ẹ̀yọ̀ — Lagos masquerade festival
Category: Festivals
A masquerade festival on Lagos Island, known for performers in flowing white robes and wide-brimmed hats.
Ẹyọ is historically linked to honouring the passing of a chief or an important event in Lagos.
Ẹyọ masqueraders dress in flowing white robes and wide-brimmed hats and carry a staff, moving through the streets of Lagos Island in procession rather than performing on a single stage.
Because it traditionally marks the passing of an important chief or a major event in Lagos, an Ẹyọ festival isn't held on a fixed annual date — it's announced and organised when the occasion calls for it, making it a less frequent, more significant event than a regular yearly festival.
Example: Àwọn ará ìlú kó ara wọn jọ láti wo ọdún Ẹ̀yọ̀ ní Erékùṣù Èkó. — "The townspeople gathered to watch the Eyo festival on Lagos Island."
Related words:
- Erékùṣù Èkó — Lagos Island
- Ọba — King — Ẹyọ is historically tied to royal and chieftaincy events