How Igbos celebrate New Yam Festival

kulata · 01-21-2007, 03:01 PM

How Igbos celebrate New Yam Festival
Clement Nnachi, Abakaliki

Igbos celebrating New Yam Festival OF all the festivals celebrated in Igboland, none holds great interest as that of the New Yam. This is so because there is deep spiritual and symbolic meanings embedded in the cultivation and harvest of yam. First, the preparation for the planting season is always heralded by the announcement of the year’s cycle.

This announcement is usually done by the eldest traditional family in the community. During this announcement, known as Igu Aro, the old yam is usually presented to the Ndi-Ichies, who in turn examine the tubers to ascertain how strong and healthy they are.

This affords the elders the opportunity to make comments about the preceding year’s yield and thereafter the men who are gathered at the Ilo or village square make their contributions as to which portions of the communal land should be left fallow to allow the soil recuperate. It is usually at this point of social gathering that the elders remind the people that the planting season for yam has come.

The spiritual aspect of this social outing is that the spiritual head of the community using a yam tuber divines whether the community would witness a bountiful harvest or not. This is done to know if there are grievous sins committed against the “Isiana” that might hinder the fertility of the land.

Part of the reasons why the harvest of the new yam is heralded with pomp is owing to its significance as evidence that the gods of the land have accepted the prayers of the people and its symbolism of sin-free status of the community. The yam is seen as an evidence of opulence, masculinity and fertility. Every farmer of renown “Diji” must slaughter one big cockerel to thank the gods for not only preserving his farms but keeping him alive to harvest the yams. It is only at the point of the New Yam Festival that women are allowed to partake as no woman is allowed to either plant or cross a yam mould, especially during their menstrual period.

The New Yam Festival is a period of family re-union. Young people look forward to the period to visit their maternal uncles and show the fertility of their mother with each boy or girl carrying tubers of yam.

The New Yam Festival remains important in the lives of Igbos due to its rich traditional and spiritual connotations.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/21012007/igbo_cul.html

**tomapep** · 01-21-2007, 05:50 PM

Before I left Naija, one of my ambitions was to attend an Emume Ili Ji Ofuu (NYF), but I never did. Interesting.

Misty · 01-22-2007, 05:47 PM

Do other cultures celebrate new yam too?

01-21-2007, 03:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
kulata Ladies Love Uncle Kuli Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Right beside Iya Alamala Posts: 36,783 Points: 6,160.00 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 6,160.00 Donate Rep Power: 1007408	How Igbos celebrate New Yam Festival How Igbos celebrate New Yam Festival Clement Nnachi, Abakaliki Igbos celebrating New Yam Festival OF all the festivals celebrated in Igboland, none holds great interest as that of the New Yam. This is so because there is deep spiritual and symbolic meanings embedded in the cultivation and harvest of yam. First, the preparation for the planting season is always heralded by the announcement of the year’s cycle. This announcement is usually done by the eldest traditional family in the community. During this announcement, known as Igu Aro, the old yam is usually presented to the Ndi-Ichies, who in turn examine the tubers to ascertain how strong and healthy they are. This affords the elders the opportunity to make comments about the preceding year’s yield and thereafter the men who are gathered at the Ilo or village square make their contributions as to which portions of the communal land should be left fallow to allow the soil recuperate. It is usually at this point of social gathering that the elders remind the people that the planting season for yam has come. The spiritual aspect of this social outing is that the spiritual head of the community using a yam tuber divines whether the community would witness a bountiful harvest or not. This is done to know if there are grievous sins committed against the “Isiana” that might hinder the fertility of the land. Part of the reasons why the harvest of the new yam is heralded with pomp is owing to its significance as evidence that the gods of the land have accepted the prayers of the people and its symbolism of sin-free status of the community. The yam is seen as an evidence of opulence, masculinity and fertility. Every farmer of renown “Diji” must slaughter one big cockerel to thank the gods for not only preserving his farms but keeping him alive to harvest the yams. It is only at the point of the New Yam Festival that women are allowed to partake as no woman is allowed to either plant or cross a yam mould, especially during their menstrual period. The New Yam Festival is a period of family re-union. Young people look forward to the period to visit their maternal uncles and show the fertility of their mother with each boy or girl carrying tubers of yam. The New Yam Festival remains important in the lives of Igbos due to its rich traditional and spiritual connotations. http://www.tribune.com.ng/21012007/igbo_cul.html __________________

01-21-2007, 05:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
tomapep shoots from the lip Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 12,022 Points: 5,550.90 Bank: 66,894,037,064.68 Total Points: 66,894,042,615.58 Donate Rep Power: 21474874	Before I left Naija, one of my ambitions was to attend an Emume Ili Ji Ofuu (NYF), but I never did. Interesting. __________________ please disregard previous message

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01-22-2007, 05:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
Misty PH Lady Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NR Posts: 41,837 Points: 99,570.00 Bank: 82,032,941,144.26 Total Points: 82,033,040,714.26 Donate Rep Power: 21474933	Do other cultures celebrate new yam too?

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