Food And Weddings In Nigeria.
WEDDING MATTERS AND FOOD
Nothing hurts like not getting food at a wedding. Especially one for which you purchased the expensive “aso-ebi” and travelled down for. It is a situation similar to this that made a friendship breakdown sometime last year, somewhere in Nigeria.
It started first with the demand that Aunty Tola should buy the aso-ebi for “friends”. That was the most expensive set of aso-ebi. Thirteen thousand naira for three yards. She had even bought six yards. Then the wedding was fixed to hold in Ibadan, a hectic drive from Lagos where she and her husband stay.
For the sake of friendship, she made the wedding after much sacrifice of time, money and energy. Only to not be served food at her friend’s wedding. This hurt. It hurt real and that she accosted her friend and her friend was nonchalant about it. She left the wedding angry, raining curses on her friend (or supposed friend).
From then till date, they have ceased to be friends. Aunty Tola had her friend blocked on all forms of social media. And this was after she has sent out curses and angry texts on all those platforms.
The issue of food in a wedding is a crucial matter. People take it personally and get passionate about expressing their displeasure. Last weekend, I was almost beaten by an angry guest for not serving their row on time. It was almost a battle. A bloody war. All because of food.
I saw somewhere that the main reason people go to wedding ceremonies is for the food. Not even to felicitate with the couples. LOL. This is quite funny as most people who attend these weddings are wealthy people or at least financially comfortable people who have food in their houses.
Perhaps like me, they enjoy the special delicacy- party Jollof. Party Jollof being the kind of Jollof rice made for parties of this sort. The Nigerian readers and those who have firsthand experience would indeed agree with me about the different sensation, aroma, and taste that party Jollof has as opposed to the usual home cooked jollof rice.
Or perhaps it is the amala or pounded yam. These wedding food have a different sensation than usual at weddings. Maybe this is the reason.
Weddings can turn into battlegrounds, house fighting tournaments if guests are not well served, properly served or not served at all. Even I will be pissed if after paying heavily for cloth and taking out time to make a wedding (which I honestly consider a waste of my whole day), I still don’t get served,
Food is a crucial issue. Settle it in the course of your wedding preparation. Don’t be like Aunty Tola’s friend.
- Chizaram Opara
