Interesting things to know about the fattening room
In many African cultures, the transition from childhood to adulthood is marked by certain ceremonies and rituals. In Nigeria, this rite of passage was especially unique, especially for young women. The tradition of fattening rooms was a common practice among several tribes, including Efik, Ibibio and Kalabari.
The fattening room was a designated place where young women were sent to live and eat for several months before their wedding day. The goal was to fatten up the bride-to-be, giving her a more mature, full-figured appearance that was seen as attractive and desirable in the society.
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This cultural practice was rooted in the belief that a woman’s beauty and desirability were directly tied to her size and shape. A full-figured woman was seen as healthy, fertile, and capable of bearing children.
Acceptance into the fattening room was viewed as a privilege and a demonstration of virtue. Also, the ability of the young girl to gain weight in the fattening room was a sign that she possessed all the qualities of a virtuous woman.
This cultural practice has its own procedures. Before admitting a girl to the fattening room, her father pays what is called “Eme” (coral beads) to appease “Nku”, the goddess of the house. This concept is to prove that the parents of the girl are wealthy enough to give their daughter a good life.
Once in the fattening room, the girls are kept away from their family members and friends, the only visitors allowed are the elderly women in the community who come to teach them lessons on marital etiquette and acceptable social customs and behaviour.
The girls are also fed heavy meals rich in carbohydrates and fat, and they receive an all-around beauty treatment from head to feet, using what is called “ndom” (native chalk) and other massage oils made from natural plants.
The training and beauty therapy is carried out over a period of one month or more while the girls are each housed in seclusion away from the public as they undergo preparation for marriage and womanhood.
At the end of the process, a ceremony is held. The girls are shown off and incorporated back into society. Family members, friends, and suitors come to celebrate as they watch the girls dance in their special attires.