By ABIDEEN, Muhammed Ayomide
Let’s imagine the situation of a woman that lost her husband and on the same day received rustication letter of her one and only daughter. As she was preparing for the burial, simultaneously she was writing an appeal letter to the House of Assembly for consideration of her daughter. On the long run, she remembered one big party she never thought of missing before she encountered the mess. So she forgot her problem so soon and prepared for the party. Who is going to solve her problem for her? Or who will take charge for her dilemma? Or is the party more important than the mess she met herself. I ask, where is her priority! The above is the perfect paradigm of our nation. We abandoned our countless problems to celebration of frivolities. Dear Patriot, who will wake us from our slumbery?
Sometimes I shed tears and wonder why the youth of today are always in total doubtfulness and what led to their misplacement of priorities. The question of celebration is not appealing in our nation. The issue supposedly to be “reflection” we resolve to celebration. The case of birthdays is certain here. On our birthday, we are expected to reflect but what do we do? Throw big party and the likes. A critical look at Nigerian youths put tears in my eyes once again over new Year celebration or carnival. It got to its climax when we crown international looters and celebrate a convict over corruption. What is our leftover or what do we get in return than shame?
Let’s examine the case of New Year celebration properly. I am compelled to ask, what is new in the New Year? Same sky, same sun, same moon, we live the same house, same condition yet we start celebrating the beginning of the so called New Year, what is new in the New Year? Nigerians have turned it to tradition every year to organize crossover and Mark the beginning of another Gregorian calendar, Pagan ways of counting imposed on us during colonialism.
If at all, New Year worth celebration then it is meant for those that hit it during the year under review. What is joy in not achieving one’s set goal over a year and what is the assurance that one will make it next year.
And before you hang on me, I am not in any way insinuating that you should not give thanks to God for keeping us till the moment. You are the one to apply the right method. Or what kind of God do we appreciate with banger and sparking objects at the end of the year? It beholds everyone of us to understand that those that initiated New Year were atheist who strongly hold the view that the moon and sun came out of the sky without creator. This implies that their theory will surely suffer from religious theory and contravenes the fundamental of any religion.
We must keep it at the back of our mind that it is not all the continents that celebrate new Year. In fact, it is not everyone that adapt the Gregorian calendar even in the Jewish dominated country. Now seeing Nigeria still wallowing in the mood of celebrating new Year, one will conclude that what we practice is different from what we inherited or their is super natural people brainwashing people’s mentality.
Asides that we waste unnecessary energy and precious time over celebrating new Year that is not new, youth hide under it to exhibit some unlettered attitudes. You will agree that celebration of new Year causes social disturbances leading to health issues for some innocent people. It is also in the celebration that draw some politicians and big wings into extravagance.
We have unlimited social problems associated with the celebration of new Year which includes buy not limited to: Strategical theft, religious stupidity, Moral decadence, etc. Some self affiliated religious Scholar use it as a kind of exploitation. They collect huge amount of money from people under the umbrella of cross over night while leaving the congress in problem.
To be frank with ourselves, majority of developed countries don’t give new Year attention as much as we do here. For God sake, there is nothing to indicate that we are religious than them. We left our nations problem ranging from insurgency, corruption, marital discord, disunity, tribalism. I think no one in his right thinking goes to bed while fire burns in his roof? Read to the story of successful business people to tell we spend money anyhow on party?
I hope you have learnt that celebration of new Year is not socially acceptable based on religious beliefs and common sense. Also, celebration of festival without caution is a road block to our country’s uplifting. And if at all you want to celebrate make sure you consult your inner sense and before the celebration ask yourself : What is new in the “New Year”.