ember months
In Nigeria, the ember months are September, October, November and December, the four months whose names end in “-ber.” The phrase means the run-up to Christmas, with all the travel, parties and spending that come with it.
What “ember months” means
Wikipedia calls it a Nigerian neologism, made from the “-ember” and “-ber” endings of the month names. The season holds Independence Day on October 1 and Christmas, and it’s when people travel, visit family, exchange gifts and plan for the new year. Shops and markets get busier.
There’s a darker side to the phrase too. In popular belief, Wikipedia notes, the ember months are linked with spiritual forces and with more bad news than usual, so the phrase can carry a note of caution as well as excitement.
Examples
- “Prices always go up in the ember months.”
- “The ember months are here, Christmas is basically tomorrow.”
- “Drive carefully, it’s ember months.”
Related terms
- Detty December: the party season that ends the ember months.
- IJGB: returnees who come home for the holidays.
- Sapa: being broke, often in January.
- Japa: to leave the country.
More Nigerian words are in our Nigerian slang guide.
Example sentence
Book your flight home early, everything costs more in the ember months.
Similar words
festive season
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