As many countries around the world mark Halloween on Friday, a large number of Nigerians have taken to social media to express indifference, describing it as foreign, spiritually questionable, and culturally irrelevant.
Reports compiled by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reveal that the general perception among Nigerians on various social media platforms is that Halloween does not align with the country’s religious and cultural beliefs.
Historically, Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain, a pagan ritual marking the end of the harvest season, which later evolved through Christian influence.
It gradually became a secular celebration popularised in Western countries, especially the United States.
Many users, including X and Facebook, argued that the concept of celebrating ghosts, spirits, or the underworld clashes with Nigerian values, where such elements are often associated with evil or dark forces.
A user, @benny001, wrote that “Halloween is not a traditional or widely observed cultural holiday in Nigeria”, adding that most Nigerians see it as a Western tradition with no relevance to their lives.
He bantered that “Nigerians do not see the need to celebrate a Halloween day” because “every day of their life is already a Halloween day”.
Another user, Adesanya Tomisin, gave similar sentiments, stressing that “Nigerians are deeply religious and have an innate fear for anything related to the underworld or witchcraft.
“Nigerians attribute most evil happenings to dark spiritual forces. “It won’t make sense to celebrate idols or gods deemed evil by most, or start wearing costumes.”
On Facebook, Osazua Iruedo argued that Halloween had no place in Nigeria’s cultural calendar, noting that the country already has numerous indigenous festivals that are neglected.
“Who wants to celebrate Halloween and spend seven days casting out demons? We are too spiritual to celebrate Halloween,” he wrote.
Also weighing in, Olusegun Quadri described Halloween as “a Western equivalent of local traditional festivals such as Osun-Osogbo or Egungun.”
For Andrew Bamidele, the idea of celebrating Halloween in Nigeria faces both economic and social barriers.
He observed that “after spending during Christmas or Sallah, there’s simply not enough money for that.”
Rounding off the debate humorously, @Usmorris wrote: “If Halloween happened in Nigeria, our girlfriends would still have the guts to ask us, ‘where is my Halloween gift?’ Are you a demon?”
Aslo adding to the conversation, @queen_mide on X said, “We already have our own traditional masquerades, festivals and superstitions — we don’t need to borrow another culture’s fear.” She said.
She argued that Nigerians should celebrate what connects us to our roots, not what disconnects us from it.
Similarly, Samuel Ekene, a Facebook user, said that if Nigerians really understood the meaning behind Halloween, they would avoid it even more.
“It’s not just about costumes and candy — it’s a celebration of spirits, and we already pray too much against that.”
Overall, the online reactions underscore a widespread sentiment that Halloween remains alien to Nigerian society, viewed more as a Western spectacle than a celebration with any local cultural or spiritual meaning. (NAN)