Àṣà ilẹ̀ Yorùbá títí di àsìkò yi, ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ọkùnrin ma nni iyawo pupọ́ wọn si ma mbi ọmọ púpọ̀, wíwọ irú aṣọ kan naa fun ṣíṣe ma nfi ẹbi han.  Aṣọ ẹbí bẹ̀rẹ̀ nípa ki ọkọ àti ìyàwó dá irú aṣọ kan nigba ìgbéyàwó àti wíwọ irú aṣọ kan naa lẹhin ìgbéyàwó lati fi han wípé wọn ti di ara kan.   Bàbá ma nra aṣọ  irú kan naa fun àwọn ọmọ nítorí ó dín ìnáwó kù láti ra irú aṣọ kan naa fún ọmọ púpọ̀ nípa ríra ìgàn aṣọ ju ríra ni ọ̀pá.   Aṣọ ẹbí tún wa fún ẹbí àti ọmọ oloku, ìyàwó ṣíṣe, ẹgbẹ́ ìlú àti bẹ̃bẹ lọ.

Nígbàtí wèrè ko ti wọ àṣà aṣọ ẹbí, ẹnití o ṣe ìyàwó, ṣe òkú, sọ ọmọ lórúkọ àti ṣiṣe yoku ma npe aṣọ ni.  Kò kan dandan ki ènìá ra aṣọ tuntun fún gbogbo ṣíṣe, fún àpẹrẹ, aṣọ funfun ni wọn ma sọ wípé ki àwọn ẹbí àti ọ̀rẹ́ wọ̀ fún òkú ṣíṣe, aṣọ ibilẹ̀ bi aṣọ òfi àti àdìrẹ fún ìgbéyàwó. Ẹbí ìyàwó le sọ wípé ki ẹgbẹ́ wọ aṣọ aláwọ ewé lati ba ohun yọ ayọ ìgbéyàwó, ki ẹbí ọkọ ni ki àwọn ẹgbẹ́ wọ àdìrẹ ti wọn  ti ra tẹ́lẹ̀ fún ìgbéyàwó.

Lati bi ogoji ọdun sẹhin, lẹhin ti ìlú ti bẹ̀rẹ̀ si naa owó epo, àṣejù ti wọ àṣà aṣọ ẹbí rírà.  Àṣà aṣọ ẹbí ti káári ìlú kọjá ile Yorùbá si gbogbo Nigeria.  Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ a ma jẹ gbèsè nítorí àti ra aṣọ ẹbí, pàtàkì ni Ìlúọba ti àwọn miran ti nṣiṣẹ àṣekú lati kó irú owó bẹẹ si aṣọ ẹbí, àwọn miran á kó owó oúnjẹ àti owó ilé ìwé lórí aṣọ ẹbí.

Ìlú nbajẹ si, kò síná, kò sómi, ìṣẹ́ pọ, aṣọ ẹbí ko le mu ìṣẹ́ kúrò tàbi sọ ẹnití o jẹ gbèsè láti ra aṣọ ẹbí di ènìyàn nla nítorí “Aṣọ nla, kọ lènìyàn nla – Yorùbá ni ilé lóko, ẹ dín wèrè aṣọ ẹbí kù.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Yoruba culture up till now, many men are engaged in “Polygamy” with children from many women, so to buy the same clothes is cheaper for the many wives and children for various festivities.  Family uniform are also used during Burial, Wedding, Naming and other ceremonial events.

When family uniform madness has not started, those preparing for burial, marriage and other traditional events normally call “colour code” of dressing or for invitees to wear one of the previous Family Uniforms, rather than buy new clothes for every event. Those days, those preparing for burial would ask families and friends to wear white attire, while the bride’s family could ask friends to wear green while the groom’s family would request for other locally produced fabrics.  Things were moderately done.

It is observed that since the oil boom about forty years ago, there has been a lot of excesses in the so called “Family Uniform” and this culture has spread beyond the Yoruba to other parts of Nigeria. The Nigerian’s abroad are also not excluded in spite of working to death with no time for family lives only to spend such income that could have been spent on education, food and other necessities on such frivolities as “Family Uniform”.

In the midst of decaying infrastructure and poverty, spending so much on “Family Uniform” would not make our nation great.  “The hood does not make the Monk, Yoruba at home and abroad should reduce the madness on “Family Uniform”.

Originally posted 2013-05-31 22:53:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter