Kalabari New Year Festival: Renewal and Purification Through Spiritual Cleansing

The Kalabari New Year Festival, celebrated on November 15th, marks the spiritual cleansing and renewal of the Kalabari people and their environment in the Kalabari Kingdom. The festival involves purifying the Sombrero River from pollutants to usher in a new year on November 16th.

Harri Awolayeofori Macmorrison, the Chief Administrator and Chairman of the Kalabari Renaissance Foundation, describes the festival as a tradition dating back centuries to pre-slave trade times. The event signifies a spiritual reset and reaffirmation of identity for the Kalabari community.