Mmanwu Festival

“Mmanwu” or masquerade is a popular social institution among the Igbo people of Nigeria. Masquerades at festivals represent incarnated ancestral spirits visiting their descendants on earth to entertain, give guidance and exorcise evil spirits. Souls of departed people are in a state of personal immortality because the process of dying is never complete. The festival is one of the few rich cultural heritages of the African people that have survived western influences. “Mmanwu” festival which is held on special occasions features an assemblage of over 2,500 masquerades of various design, shapes and sizes from different communities in Anambra state of Nigeria and is said to be the largest concentration of masquerades on the African continent and perhaps in the world.