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The new yam festival of the Igbo people

Today i was reminded of the celebration of the new yam festival by my friend  Stephanie,and the painful fact is that most Igbo people don’t know what this festival is about, so here is a little education.

The New Yam Celebration of the Igbo people (Orureshi in the idoma territory, Iwa ji, Iri ji or Ike ji, contingent upon lingo) is a yearly New yam harvest celebration by the Igbo people held toward the end of the rainy season in ahead of schedule August.The Iwa ji celebration (actually “new-yam eating”) is drilled all through West Africa (particularly in Nigeria and Ghana)and other African nations and past, symbolizing the determination of a harvest and the start of the following work cycle.The festivity is a socially based event, entwining individual Igbo groups as basically agrarian and dependent on yam.

Yams are the first product to be gathered, and are the most vital harvest of the district. The night before the day of the celebration, every single old yam (from the earlier year’s yield) are eaten or discarded.The following day, just dishes of yam are served, as the celebration is typical of the wealth of the produce.

New yam festival

Generally, the part of eating the first yam is performed by the by the oldest man in the community or the king (igwe). This man additionally offers the yams to god, divinities and progenitors. It is trusted that their position offers the benefit of being mediators between their groups and the lords of the area. The customs are intended to express the appreciation of the group to the divine beings for making the harvest conceivable, and they are generally taken after notwithstanding more present day changes because of the impact of Christianity in the range.

The day is typical of delight after the development season, and the bounty is imparted to companions and well-wishers. A mixture of celebrations check the eating of new yam. People moves, disguises, parades, and gatherings make an ordeal that a few members describe as “workmanship”; the bright celebration is a scene of showed satisfaction, much obliged, and group show.

Palm oil (mmanu nri) is used to eat the yam. Iwa ji also shares some similarities with the Asian Mid-Autumn Festival, as both are based on the cycles of the moon and are essentially community harvest festivals.

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