ÌṢẸ̀ṢE DAY: WHEN YORÙBÁ PEOPLE RETURN TO THE ROOTS — THE STORY, SPIRITUALITY AND HERITAGE BEHIND AUGUST 20
Ayekooto Media
In 2026, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States have declared Thursday, August 20, work-free in recognition of the celebration. Lagos has observed the day as a work-free day since 2023, while Ogun and Oyo have also formally recognised the occasion.
But beyond the holiday, beyond the colourful clothes, drums, processions and traditional ceremonies, lies a much bigger story.
What exactly is Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀? Where did it come from? Why does it matter to the Yoruba? And why has a tradition that survived colonialism, religious transformation and centuries of social change suddenly become one of the most visible expressions of indigenous identity in contemporary Nigeria?
ÌṢẸ̀ṢE IS MORE THAN A DAY
The Yoruba word Ìṣẹ̀se is commonly associated with tradition, ancestral heritage and indigenous ways of life. It encompasses much more than the worship of individual òrìṣà.
It speaks to a worldview — a way of understanding existence, morality, destiny, community, nature, ancestors and the relationship between the visible and invisible worlds.
For traditional adherents, the celebration may involve prayers, rituals, offerings, music, drumming, dancing, consultation with Ifá, reverence for ancestors and honouring particular òrìṣà according to local traditions.
Therefore, describing Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ simply as “a day to celebrate Yoruba gods” does not capture its entire meaning.
It is simultaneously religion, philosophy, history, culture, memory and identity.
BEFORE CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM CAME TO YORÙBÁLAND
Long before the arrival and expansion of Christianity and Islam in Yorùbáland, Yoruba communities already possessed elaborate systems of belief, governance, morality, medicine, festivals, kingship, philosophy and spiritual practice.
At the heart of the traditional worldview was belief in a supreme creator commonly known as Olódùmarè, alongside a complex spiritual order involving òrìṣà, ancestors and other spiritual forces.
Historical records and collections preserved by institutions such as the Smithsonian document the central place of Yoruba religious thought, including figures such as Ọ̀bàtálá, Ṣàngó and Èṣù, as well as the Ifá divination system.
This is important because an old misconception sometimes reduces African traditional religions to a collection of “idols”.
Yoruba traditional thought is considerably more complex.
The òrìṣà occupy particular positions within a larger cosmological system, while Olódùmarè occupies the supreme position in Yoruba theological understanding.
ILE-IFE: THE SACRED HEART OF YORUBA CIVILISATION
To understand Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀, one must understand Ilé-Ifẹ̀.
For generations, Yoruba oral traditions have regarded Ifẹ̀ as the spiritual and historical cradle of the Yoruba world. Archaeology also demonstrates that Ifẹ̀ was an important urban centre whose origins can be traced back at least to the sixth century.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art describes Ifẹ̀ as a place of exceptional religious and political importance to the Yoruba, noting that Yoruba tradition regards it as the place from which humanity originated.
The sacred history of Ifẹ̀ is intertwined with Odùduwà, Ọ̀bàtálá and Olódùmarè.
According to Yoruba tradition, Odùduwà became the progenitor of the Yoruba royal lineage, while Ọ̀bàtálá is associated with the creation of human beings.
Whether approached as sacred tradition, oral history or mythology, these narratives have played an enormous role in shaping Yoruba identity.
Even today, the Ọọ̀ni of Ifẹ̀ occupies a unique position in Yoruba sacred kingship, and Yoruba monarchs traditionally trace aspects of their legitimacy to the ancient heritage of Ifẹ̀.
THE ORÌṢÀ ARE PART OF A MUCH LARGER WORLDVIEW
One of the most fascinating features of Yoruba spirituality is its diversity.
There is Ogun, associated with iron, warfare, hunting, technology and craftsmanship.
There is Ṣàngó, associated with thunder, lightning, authority and the legendary history of the old Oyo world.
There is Ọ̀ṣun, strongly associated with the river, fertility, beauty and diplomacy.
There is Yemọja, revered in various traditions with associations that include motherhood and waters.
There is Ọ̀bàtálá, deeply connected with creation in Yoruba cosmology.
There is Èṣù, whose philosophical significance has frequently been misunderstood through the lens of foreign religious interpretations.
And there is Ọ̀rúnmìlà, associated with Ifá, wisdom and divination.
These traditions are not identical in every Yoruba town. The practices surrounding a particular òrìṣà can vary from one community to another.
That diversity itself is part of the richness of Yoruba civilisation.
IFÁ: A LIBRARY OF YORUBA WISDOM
Perhaps nothing demonstrates the intellectual depth of Yoruba indigenous civilisation more powerfully than Ifá.
Ifá is not simply fortune-telling.
It is an extensive system of divination, knowledge and oral literature associated with Ọ̀rúnmìlà. Its corpus contains verses, stories, philosophical teachings, prescriptions, taboos and reflections on human existence.
The Smithsonian and Metropolitan Museum document the sophistication of Ifá divination, including its specialised instruments and the corpus of Odù, through which diviners interpret spiritual and philosophical knowledge.
This is one reason Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ should not be discussed merely as a collection of ceremonies.
It carries an intellectual heritage.
It carries an ethical heritage.
It carries an oral literary heritage.
And it carries a historical memory that was transmitted for generations before the age of modern printing.
THE YORUBA DID NOT LOSE THEIR TRADITION — IT TRAVELLED
Then came one of the darkest chapters in African history: the transatlantic slave trade.
Millions of Africans were violently removed from their ancestral lands.
Yet something extraordinary happened.
The people could be transported across the Atlantic, but their memory travelled with them.
Yoruba religious ideas, names, music, rhythms, rituals and spiritual traditions survived in parts of the Caribbean and the Americas.
They became intertwined with religious traditions such as Cuban Santería/Lukumí and Brazilian Candomblé, among others.
The Metropolitan Museum notes that Yoruba heritage made significant contributions to cultures in Cuba, Brazil and the United States, while Yoruba Ifá traditions also spread widely through the African diaspora.
In other words, the story of Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ is not confined to Nigeria.
It is part of a global African story.
When a Yoruba drum sounds in Lagos, Ibadan or Ile-Ife, echoes of Yoruba cultural memory can also be found thousands of kilometres away in communities shaped by the African diaspora.
COLONIALISM AND THE RELIGIOUS TRANSFORMATION OF YORÙBÁLAND
The arrival and expansion of Christianity and Islam profoundly transformed Yoruba society.
Missionaries, Islamic scholars, colonial administrators, schools and new political institutions changed the religious and social landscape.
Many Yoruba converted to Christianity or Islam.
Others retained traditional practices.
Some families blended elements of different traditions.
And many Yoruba people today identify primarily as Christian or Muslim while still maintaining strong connections to Yoruba names, festivals, language, kingship, family customs and ancestral culture.
That is why Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ must not be turned into a war between religions.
A Yoruba Christian is still Yoruba.
A Yoruba Muslim is still Yoruba.
A Yoruba traditionalist is still Yoruba.
The culture is older than the religious divisions that later became prominent within Yoruba society.
ÌṢẸ̀ṢẸ̀ AND THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY
This is perhaps the most important conversation surrounding today's celebration.
Every civilisation needs memory.
A people without memory can gradually lose the language, stories, symbols, philosophy and values that distinguish them.
For many adherents, Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ is therefore not simply about worshipping òrìṣà. It is also about saying:
“We remember where we came from.”
That does not require anyone to abandon Christianity or Islam.
It does not require religious confrontation.
It simply requires an understanding that indigenous African history deserves the same seriousness with which other religious and cultural traditions are studied and preserved.
CHRISTMAS, EID AND ÌṢẸ̀ṢẸ̀
There is a useful comparison to make with Christmas and Islamic festivals, although the traditions should not be treated as identical.
Christmas is a major Christian celebration associated with the birth of Jesus Christ.
Eid celebrations are important Islamic religious observances.
Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ Day, meanwhile, is rooted in Yoruba indigenous spirituality and cultural heritage.
The common thread is that human beings everywhere create sacred times in which communities remember their beliefs, history and identity.
The difference lies in the religious traditions and meanings attached to each celebration.
So when Yoruba people celebrate Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀, the significance is not that they are simply copying Christmas or Eid.
Rather, they are giving public recognition to their own indigenous spiritual and cultural inheritance.
WHY AUGUST 20 MATTERS TODAY
The modern recognition of August 20 as Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ Day is relatively recent in governmental terms.
Osun State officially declared August 20 a public holiday for traditional religion in 2013, while Ogun formally designated August 20 as Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ Cultural Day in 2023. Lagos and Oyo have also formally recognised the day in recent years.
In 2026, the recognition has grown even more visible.
Lagos, Ogun and Oyo have declared August 20 work-free, while governments and traditional institutions have framed the celebration as both a religious observance and an opportunity to preserve indigenous heritage.
That development tells us something important.
The debate over African identity is no longer confined to history books.
It is happening in contemporary society.
PRESERVING CULTURE WITHOUT PERSECUTING ANYONE
There is, however, a responsibility that comes with cultural revival.
Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ should be celebrated without insulting Christians.
It should be celebrated without mocking Muslims.
Likewise, Christianity and Islam should be practised without treating indigenous African culture as something inherently backward or worthless.
Nigeria's strength has always been its diversity.
The Yoruba should be free to preserve their indigenous heritage just as other peoples preserve theirs.
Cultural pride should produce confidence, not hatred.
Religious conviction should produce responsibility, not persecution.
And historical awareness should produce understanding, not division.
THE REAL QUESTION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ is not whether people will celebrate it today.
They will.
The bigger question is whether the next generation will understand why.
Will Yoruba children know the history of Ilé-Ifẹ̀?
Will they understand the philosophy contained in Ifá?
Will they know why Ṣàngó occupies such an important place in Yoruba history and tradition?
Will they understand the cultural significance of Ọ̀ṣun, Ọ̀gún, Ọ̀bàtálá, Ọ̀rúnmìlà and other spiritual traditions?
Will they learn the difference between history, mythology, religion and cultural symbolism?
Will they speak Yoruba?
Will they know the proverbs of their grandparents?
Will they understand the meaning behind their names?
Because culture does not die in one dramatic moment.
It dies quietly when children stop asking questions about where they came from.
TODAY, THE DRUMS SPEAK
So, as the drums sound today across Yorùbáland and beyond, Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ should be understood as more than a festival.
It is a conversation between the past and the present.
It is the meeting point between the ancestors and the living.
It is the preservation of memory in an age of rapid modernisation.
It is an affirmation that African civilisation existed before colonial maps, before missionary schools and before modern political borders.
And perhaps most importantly, it is a reminder that a people can embrace modernity without burying their history.
The Yoruba story is ancient.
It is complex.
It is sometimes disputed.
It is sometimes wrapped in oral tradition and mythology.
But it is undeniably rich.
From the sacred traditions of Ilé-Ifẹ̀ to the imperial history of Ọ̀yọ́; from the wisdom of Ifá to the rhythms of bàtá drums; from Yoruba compounds to the cities of the Caribbean and Brazil — the heritage survived.
Today, Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ does not merely ask the Yoruba to look backward.
It asks them to remember the foundation upon which they can build forward.
Happy Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ Day.
May the celebration deepen cultural understanding, preserve Yoruba heritage and promote peace among all peoples and faiths.
— The Scribe Ayekooto Media
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David Alani Ige (The Scribe)
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Ayekooto MediaDavid Alani Ige is a seasoned journalist, strategic analyst, and the visionary publisher of Ayekooto Media. With a relentless commitment to archiving Nigeria's political realities and delivering the unvarnished truth, he has built a formidable platform for deep-dive reportage and editorial excellence. He is widely known by his readers and peers as "The Scribe".
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