October Marks a remarkable day for Nigeria as a country and Igbo as a culture. 16th century ago, the European came into our land and exercise dominance and influence over the people, until 1st october did she gain her independence as a country. Ever since then, 1st october is always celebrated. The celebration is always done in the central capital at eagle square, many events are done portraying how we started and how far we have gone to celebrate the victory and the sacrifice our past heroes laid for us.
I will be sharing more on a holiday and culture event the igbo culture observe in the month of August, October and sometimes November, it's called the "New yam festival or Emume iri ji,and is one of the most celebrated events in the igbo culture which attract tourist.
NEW YAM FESTIVAL
August, October and November are three special months on the calendar of the igbo people, this is because of their annual celebration of Yam festival. Sons and daughters from afar return home to share and join in this merriment. The Yam festival is an event aim at presenting the newly harvested yam to their god , as well as thanking God for the life of the farmers, the harvest , the people of the land and the bountiful harvest. This festival is held before the commencement of yam consumption throughout the land. The event begins with breaking of kola nut by the ruler of the community.
An offering is made to the spirits of the field with special reference to the presiding deity of the yam crop. In the olden days, fowls offered as sacrifice must be carried to the farm and slain there, with the blood being sprinkled on the farm. Yam is cut into some sizes and thrown to the gods and earth with prayers for protection and benevolence. After which the Yam is roasted and garnished with oil, salt , pepper etc and the fowl prepared and taken home to be consumed. Two special delicacies usually prepared on that ceremonial day include: Boiled White Yam (with its tubers) coupled with its red oily sauce; and Yam Porridge (Ji-awayi).This is followed by the Royal Dance, Igba-Eze Dance, Cultural Dance, Masquerade Parade & Dance and musical rendition by various groups in the community. The event has been visited by different people from different countries who has found the event of great significance.
One of the events not commonly discussed is the ritual done on Young children before they could partake in the yam festival. The believe around it is that, to take from the New yam, you must prepare your body fit for new substance achieved through purification and dedication ritual. One at a time, each child is made to stand in front of this ritual ground and the ritual expert would render a powerful incantation or prayer while passing around the head and throat a bunch of the materials asking the child to spit out saliva on the ground. Across the body the expert also softly brushes materials as he prays for the good health of the chap to be fit to eat the new yam and celebrate the occasion peacefully. Parents took it upon themselves to present their children to the therapist to undergo the cleaning of the body and enacting accord of order and health in the enduring Igbo new yam festival setting. In celebrating the festival, the whole Community join in the jubilee and thanksgiving called afia ji oku as the yam is taken to the open market square with spectacular dance , songs in an organised manner.
A thunderously high ovation is echoed by market men and women upon sitting the big yam – ji aro, decorated with young palm tendril, fowl and traditional dancers on approach to the market and inside the market as the celebration catches a moment of pushing and jumping up and down by onlookers to catch a glimpse of the huge yam and the carnivals around it. In Ehime area, new yam cannot be eaten until ji aro goes to and returns from the market of Nkwo Umuezeala. Not only stories held that catastrophes and strange things happen in the locality at any time the rule and taboos around ji aro tradition are violated or ignored but also specific cases and references to individuals and families affected due to subversion against ji aro are commonly and typically known. As such, the community as a whole celebrate and preserve the heritage annually in August called onwa ano Umuezeala (forth month of Umuezeala people). In Igbo society, the culture of cutting, iwa; and eating, iri; of the first yam is performed by the oldest man in the community or the Eze, King. Privileged by the elder-ship and title-ship positions in society, it is believed the senior members of the community mediate between the ancestors and gods of the land. The totality of rituals around the new yam eating express the community's appreciation and renewal with the gods for making the harvest of farm yields possible and successful. Celebrating the New yam fest is common with energetic men’s, women’s and children’s cultural dance troupes, in addition to fashion display, role reversals, Igbo masquerade jamboree, heavy drinking of palm wine, folklores, commensality and reciprocity all of which are synonymous with the iwa ji and iri-ji ohuru in Igbo life and culture.
Typically, New Yam Festival provides a heritage of dances, feasting, renewal of kinship alliances, as well as marks the end of one agricultural season with a harvest to express gratitude and thanksgiving to the society, gods, friends and relations.