The Yoruba (yoroo-BUH) Egúngún (eh-goon-goon) masquerade is a festival that celebrates ancestors.
Ancestors are the people in your family who lived long ago. During these celebrations, dancers wear masks and perform to honor those who are no longer physically present. We think of masks as objects that cover faces only, but Egúngún masks—like many African masks—cover the dancers’ entire bodies. Egúngún masks are made out of many layers of fabric. Different generations of family members add more fabric to the mask to create the layering effect. During ceremonial dances, as the dancer spins, strips of fabric fly out dramatically representing the return of the ancestral spirits to the living community.