EXPLORING THE SACRED AND PROFANE; A STUDY OF TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS IN AHOADA WEST LGA OF RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study explored the sacred and the profane in traditional festivals in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. It examined how the coexistence of the sacred expressed through rituals, sacrifices, libations, ancestral venerations and the profane, manifested in music, dance, masquerade displays, and communal feasting contributes to cultural identity and social cohesion. The study was anchored on Emile Durkheim’s Theory of the Sacred and the Profane and Victor Turner’s Ritual Process and Communitas Theory. The paper revealed that the sacred and profane are not opposing forces but complementary elements within the Ekpeye worldview. The sacred aspects sustain the people’s spiritual and moral life, while the profane elements serve as instruments of social expression, recreation, and unity. Together, they reinforce communal harmony, continuity, and belonging. The study further discovered that traditional festivals serve as social institutions that preserve Ekpeye history, transmit cultural values, and strengthen intergenerational relationships. It concluded that festivals are far more than mere entertainment; they are living social institutions that preserve history, transmit collective memory, and reinforce the moral values that hold the community together.