Cameroon and the Lereh Traditional Festival Essay Example

and the leaders of the land who are doing the ritual, being the center of the holiday celebration. While the love and loyalty of all leaders are being acclaimed and recognized, so does the people acclaim and recognize the beauty and abundance of nature, of culture, and of leadership among other blessings. Only recently, the Lereh festival was celebrated in Chomba, which is a political and ceremonial event, as they are about to choose the right ruler of the country.

What is the meaning of the Lereh festival? During the Lereh festival of Cameroon, the leader who is wearing colorful clothes and accessories will start to lead the dance. This is in connection with what we, Africans, believe that the dance leads to shaking, which would lead to vibration. Then this vibration would lead to prolonged life and longer existence. Dance is the art of expressing the desire to be alive, to be abundant, and to be profitable, which is why it is always performed in rituals and in special ceremonies of the Africans.

People here will be feasting in joy and excitement, while songs relating to ‘ancestry’ and ‘abundance’ fill the air. The colorful costumes and accessories are nothing compared to the colorful faces of the people. Everyone, even people from foreign countries, enjoys this holiday festival of Cameroon. There is feasting, a lot of eating and dancing, and the offering of wine and prayers to the ancestors of the land.

The climax of this festival is when the leader gives the traditional titles to his sons and daughters who are most deserving for the title. Then again, the use of

colorful masks makes the holiday more inviting. It is our traditional belief that masks can be used to communicate with ancestors of the tribe. As can be seen all over Africa, rituals, holidays and festivities here is incomplete without the use of masks and the display of music, dance and artistry.