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Isese Day is a regional public holiday observed in the Nigerian state of Osun on August 20th each year.
The day is set aside by the Osun government for traditional worshipers to celebrate their deities. The day is observed as the culmination of a week of traditional religious activities and festivities.
Isese (the Yorùbá word for Tradition) Day celebrates the Yorùbá traditions and religion in a display of culture and spirituality with parties, festivals, parades, lectures and display of other traditional apparels to attract tourists from other parts of the world.
The Yorùbá make up 21% of Nigeria's population.
As well as in Osun state, Isese day is celebrated by Yorùbá diaspora communities around the world.
A former governor of Osun, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, in 2013, approved August 20th as a public holiday in the state for Traditional Worshipers, under Section 2 (2) of the Public Holidays Act CAP P40 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2010.
Isese Day was first declared as a public holiday by the Osun State government in 2014. Banks, government offices and other establishments in Osun State will be closed on this day.
Although the actual day is a state holiday, week-long festivities leading up to August 20th are celebrated in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state.
The appropriate greeting for Isese Day is "Isese l'agba" and the response is "Isese l'agba gbogbo wa".
Okun su nare
Osa su legbe
Alaye n r'Aye
Alaskan n r'Asan
Omi ori ota ko yi
Awon Agbaagba Imole wo 'gbeyin oro
Won ro wipe ko le Sunhan mo,
Won wa fari kodoro
Won fi ‘rungbo diya pin pin pin
Won n Kewu elewu kiri
Difa fun ISESE
Tii s'Olori Oro ni 'Warun,
Iya Eni
Isese ni,
Baba Eni
Isese ni,
Ori Eni
Isese ni,
Ikin eni,
Isese ni,
Olorun Oba
Isese ni,
A o b'Asese o Olowo
Isese lawa o bo Kawa o to b'Orisa
TRANSLATION
The Ocean ( Okun) appears wonderfully
The sea (Osa) appears extremely
The people of 'Aye' go to 'Aye '
The people of 'Asan' go to 'Asan '
The water on the rock do not flow
The old Muslims think of the past
They think they can not achieve success in life
They removed the entire hairs on their head
They have hairs on their chest
They were learning the Quranic verses
They cast a divination for ISESE
The head of the spiritualists in Ile - Ife,
Our mother
Is Isese
Our father
Is Isese,
Our inner head
Is Isese,
Our Ikin Ifa ( Ifa nuts)
Is Isese,
God (Olorun Oba)
Is Isese,
We are ready to appease Isese
We are going to appease Isese before we appease Orisa
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