Twitter user Haneefah Adam (ms_hanie) is known for food art like this
And this
She’s from Ilorin, Kwara State and she shares this amazing story on how weddings are carried out over the course of seven days – a whole week! – in her town.
Thread: Children. Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. Gather around, let me give you a glimpse into Ilorin’s 7-day wedding celebration(s).
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
What inspired this thread is this old wedding IV. Apparently, it’s supposed to provide a template for something something. pic.twitter.com/t42x9oX72F
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
This one that’s starts on Tuesday is just official date. They start on Sunday because maybe they don’t have better stuff to do.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Different Nigerian cultures have different cultural festivals. Ilorin’s festival is wedding festival. That’s what we know how to do: Iyawo
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Iyawo means wedding by the way
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
It is usually the bride’s family that their wahala is too much. Men are usually chilled all they do is sit around and stuff. (Mostly).
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Anyways. On Sunday o. She makes her hair. This takes hours because of the tiny braids of her natural hair. Seriously, how do they last
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Then on Monday, the bride does her henna, it’s called “Laali” in Ilorin. Apart from the popular black ones, there’s this smelly green paste-
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
That’s slapped on her legs to achieve the orange colour as well at the sole of her feet. Anyways, they decorate her arms and legs pic.twitter.com/HdDPaSS5WW
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Tuesday morning. There’s “sisa” which literally means “to run away”. Yep. The bride disappears with her friends. They run away guys. pic.twitter.com/3YXHvH6ddM
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Wherever they are, the bride’s friends entertain themselves. They sing songs. Usually marital advise songs to the wife to be.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
The husband’s family finds them &brings soap so that the bride can do “wiwe”. Some ceremonial bath. You know, we fresh like that.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Still Tuesday, in the evening. There’s “Ere Onikengbe” where there’s the beating of a gourd like calabash to produce music. Spray the money! pic.twitter.com/A8FPIWRPeY
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
One Wednesday, there’s “kamu”. Which literally means “to catch it”. It here is the bride. You understand? Also, remember the bride ran away
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
When she’s been caught, It’s still Wednesday, the bride is returned to her house. The groom might do his walimah. If not till tomorrow,
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
On Wednesday night, there’s aisun= no sleep. They call a woman who sings and they sing and dance all night. The bride too doesn’t sleep
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Hold on. Royal Family aisun is on Wednesday night. But if you’re a commoner like me, sorta. Yours is Thursday night. You’ll soon understand
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
On THURSDAY. They might do the nikkah, if not, Friday. In the evening, there’s ere olomoba/ ijo olomoba (play/ dance of the royal bride)
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
They sing and beat a calabash (with sticks and their palms) that is immersed upside down in another calabash filled with water.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Commoners! You don’t do ijo olomoba because you’re not an omo oba, so tonight is your own aisun (Thursday).
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Fridaayyyyyyyyy. That’s when they do Walimahhh. You get to where sanyan and pose like this. Hawt. pic.twitter.com/7OphlE9yeC
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Walimah is usually done by both couples. The guy wears a tulle white turban and wears his “sanyan”. pic.twitter.com/xw4SyP6VFQ
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
The bride wears hers as an iro and buba with a large white veil pic.twitter.com/KQG4Cq2eLD
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
I think we can recognise the bride there sha.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
The groom goes with his squad too but you people are not important. Walimah is usually done in each couple’s respective family houses.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Walimah is when an Islamic Scholar reads the first 5 verses of Surat Baqora (2:1-5) to the couple &they read it back. Here’s an Imam reading pic.twitter.com/uKwc0ZMKTA
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Here’s the “wala” the bride’s holds as she read it back. Then read to like 20 different houses in the family house pic.twitter.com/f9nDjhnNOG
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
They usually come on a horse. But if the groom can’t ride a horse. A car is fine too. If the houses are not far from each other. Walk.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
So the bride reads the Qur’an to the groom. And the groom gives her money. And everybody teases them. pic.twitter.com/qcdZcGekpq
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
There is different kind of music. Some musicians comes with talking drums and praise the bride while she’s dancing. She’s sprayed money too
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Her friends pack the money inside plastic bags. They are sprayed money too. See, the bride’s friends make money from Ilorin weddings!
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
There’s also kakaaki for the royal bride. It’s lit! pic.twitter.com/xq68neAanC
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
There are tents erected for guests. Usually on an open field. So she dances around and greets guest. They congratulate her, more spraying.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
I forgot to add that they’ve done nikkah after walimah . Nikkah is the actual solemnisation of the marriage.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
So, during are osan when the bride is dancing away (how is she still standing! Bruh), the groom arriiiiiiiiives. With his friends.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
And they come to dance with the bride and her friends. And they spray her money. And they dance till Maghreb.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
If you’re from Ilorin and don’t know how to dance . Shame on you.
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
Soooooo. Saturday is reception. You know. Couples dance in. Cutting of cake, if Ayula is your MC, maybe dance to Indian song. More spraying
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
At this point I think you know that spraying means spraying money. pic.twitter.com/0IrPLKUZ4O
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
If somehow. By some miracle, you still have energy. There’s after party. But this is not in the culture. It’s for Bellanaija generation
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
So, after the reception. The bride goes to her husband’s family house. And she starts crying a lot. And “sleeps” there the first night .
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016
But nobody lives in family house again so she goes to her husband’s house and they have fun. And the end. Odaaro fa!!!!
— Haneefah Adam (@ms_hanie) November 11, 2016