Lately I witnessed a Nigerian graduation party.
No, it wasn't a party for a college graduate. It is a high school graduation party for a girl.
I haven't witnessed an event quite like it. I assume Nigerians consider it as a remarkable achievement for somebody to graduate from high school.
The mother of the graduate wore a traditional Nigerian dress, complete with a head dress. It amazed me that she wore tons of gold jewelries. But I saw a multitude of African Americans wearing gold jewelries that you'd think they own a pawnshop.
In the middle of the ceremony, the girl's mother and her mother's friends did a dance ritual. They danced around her on stage and yodelled what-have-yous while her mother pinned dollar bills on her dress. Later she was showered with money.
I told my friends that I would love to go up the stage and call the girl's mother "Mama!" as if I am her long lost son. I want to be showered with that money. I said I only saw "rituals" such as this being done during weddings back home, to which one of my friends agreed. My friend then told me that I could have my own Nigerian graduation party. I told them that I would love to have them pin dollars on me but a minimum of five dollars or they would be cursed.
Nigerian English sound gibberish to me (no offense intended) that I later realized that what they were playing at the DJ booth were actually gospel music.
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