The last four months of the year, that is September, October, November and December are popularly referred to as Ember months. It is that period of the year when Nigerians are ‘spiritually sensitive’ and it is the goal of many that they see the end of the year. People have different views and perceptions about Ember months.

These months could mean a lot of things to different people. Some have this perception that the ember months are tender, risky and dicey. It is believed that it is a time when death toll increases. Many relate it to spiritual issues and others to the ‘wickedness of men’.

This belief has become so entrenched in the consciousness of people that various religious groups and other institutions regularly organize special prayer sessions usually to ward off evil or perceived dangers associated with the months. So it is not unusual to see faithful of various religions engage in fervent spiritual warfare in a bid to dislodge blood sucking devils that are allegedly on the prowl during these months.

However, to some Nigerians, Ember month is when families and individuals are in so much hurry to make all the money they have not made since the beginning of the year so they could meet up with expenses in the season. The simple thought of Ember month can stir up feelings of excitement as well as fear of anxiety from those who could not meet up with the challenges involved, considering all the tasks that needs to be carried out for this major season.

The period of Ember months could be hectic and indulging as well because some would want to travel because of Christmas and end of the year. People tend to lose concentration and throw everything in the wind, all in the name of making money before the year ends so they can measure standards and compete with others. It is likely the widely accepted official time for individuals to review performances, especially for people that prefer spending their end of year holidays at their hometown. At this period, there are increases in prices of things and high demand on the season related purchases.

Crime rate is on a high increase and fraudulent activities are on the rise. Some hooligans see it as an opportunity to swindle people of their money and valuable property, especially those who are greedy, are usually caught in the web.

Regardless of how one seems to perceive the Ember months period, it does not change the fact that Ember months help to draw our heart to remember and appreciate our family, friends and loved ones that means a lot to us as we await their homecoming in excitement and enthusiasm. During this period, lots of ceremonial functions and activities are already on kick such as marriages, wedding celebrations, marriage anniversaries, child dedication, New yam festival and home coming parties. People also tend to use this period to host a Thanksgiving celebration such as house warming, birthday parties and so on in order to express their sincere gratitude to God for his blessings upon their lives and for preserving their lives to see the end of the year.

Ember month is indeed, a very sensitive and delicate period of the end of the year. It is however high time people sensitized their mindset on “Ember Month”. It is evident that road accidents are caused majorly by people’s non compliance to traffic rules such as ensuring that their vehicles are in good condition, over speeding, drunkenness, overloading, and usage of phones on the high ways. Therefore, road accidents during the “Ember Month” are not due to spiritual causes.

Hence, it is imperative for everyone to have a changed perception of the ‘ember’ months. Conscious efforts must be made to disrobe the months of every garb of unfounded mysticism. It is only when we are convinced that the dangers associated with the months are human rather than mythical that we could make considerable progress in averting disasters during the month.

It is only in living modestly and responsibly that we could avoid the dangers and hiccups that are sometimes associated with ember months. If only we could rid ourselves of our usual ‘ember months’ excesses, we would discover that nothing is actually wrong with the months.

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