The New Yam Festival, in the Ogidi community, is an important way of marking the beginning and end of the farming season. It is a celebration of life, accomplishments in the community, culture and well-being.
What happens in the New Yam Festival?
A variety of festivities mark the eating of new yam. Folk dances, masquerades, parades, and parties create an experience that some participants characterize as “art”; the colorful festival is a spectacle of exhibited joy, thanks, and community display.
Why is the Yam Festival celebrated?
Asogli Yam Festival is an annual festival celebrated by the people of Asogli in the Ho Municipality located in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is celebrated in September annually to celebrate the cultivation of yam that was started by a hunter who found the tuber in the forest during his hunting expedition.
What is the purpose of the New Yam Festival in things fall apart?
The Feast of the New Yam was held every year before the harvest began, to honour the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the clan.
What is another name for New Yam Festival?
The New Yam Festival popularly known as “Orureshi, Iwa ji, Iri ji, Ike ji, or Otute (depending on dialect) is an annual cultural festival by the Igbo people usually held at the end of the rainy season in early August to October every year.
What do yams symbolize in the Igbo society?
What do yams symbolize in the Igbo society? Yams are a very important crop and food source, so they symbolize the sustainability of life. They also symbolize masculinity, since they are considered the ”king of crops” and only men are allowed to grow them.
Who celebrates the New Yam Festival?
The New Yam Festival popular known as Iwa ji, Iri ji or Ike ji is an annual cultural festival by the Igbo people held at the end of the rainy season in August and September. The Iri Ji festival is not only practiced in Nigeria but also in Ghana and in some African countries and beyond.
How is Yam Festival celebrated in Ghana?
Traditions. The first offering of the crop is made to the ancestral gods by the chief priest of the Ashanti; the religious rite includes taking the yams on the second day of the festival in a procession to the ancestral ground. Music and dance are part of the festivities on all the five days.
What is Yam Festival in Ghana?
The Yam Festival, known in the local Ewe dialect as “Te Za,” is a harvest festival in the Asogli State in the Volta Region of Ghana. The very colorful Yam Festival takes place in September of each year and is presided over by the paramount chief and president of the National House of Chiefs, King Togbe Afede XIV.
What is the most important festival in Nigeria?
Standing out as arguably the most popular festival in Nigeria, the Eyo festival is celebrated in Lagos, Nigeria, by the indigenes, who are also known as Isale Eko. It is usually celebrated in the month of May, and features a colourful traditional masquerade display and various manifestations of the local dance arts.
How do yams symbolize masculinity in things fall apart?
Yams are a crop grown exclusively by men. Growing yams is labor intensive, and the size of a man’s fields and harvest say much about his work ethic. Yams are grown to gain wealth and also to feed one’s family. They are a symbol of masculinity and ability as a provider.
How did Okonkwo feel about the New Yam Festival?
Summary: Chapter 5
Just before the harvest, the village holds the Feast of the New Yam to give thanks to the earth goddess, Ani. Okonkwo doesn’t really care for feasts because he considers them times of idleness.
What is the message of no longer at ease?
No Longer At Ease is the story of how a young, educated Nigerian man returns home from university education abroad, certain that young men like himself can and will eliminate corruption as they replace the older, uneducated and corrupt Africans who make up the civil workforce.
Who is the father of Igbo?
Eri
It is believed that the Igbo people descended from Eri, a divine figure who according to folklore, was sent from heaven to begin civilization. Eri was the son of Gad and Gad was one of the sons of Jacob from his concubine, as mentioned in the Bible.
What festival are the Igbo known for?
THE IGBO NEW YAM FESTIVAL The New Yam Festival of the Igbo people (Orureshi in the idoma area, Iwa ji, Iri ji or Ike ji, depending on dialect) is an annual cultural festival by the Igbo people held at the end of the rainy season in early August.
How many festival are in Nigeria?
There are more than 365 festivals in Nigeria according to the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed and government is working hard to harness these festivals as a way of showcasing and boosting the country’s diverse cultures.
Why are yams so important in Nigeria?
Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a very important common food crop in West Africa. Beyond its food and nutritious values, the ownership and cultivation of yam have many cultural, religious, and social meanings, which may vary between specific ethnic groups and regional areas.
What unacceptable thing did Okonkwo do just before the feast of the new yam?
Q. What unacceptable thing did Okonkwo do just before the Feast of the New Yam? He got drunk in public. He beat his second wife, Ekwefi, then fired his gun at her.
Are yams celebrated in African ceremonies?
The Yam Festival is celebrated by members of ethnic groups like the Mahi, Nagot (Yoruba), Bariba, Dendi, and others, for whom yam is a staple crop and a marker of identity. Unlike cassava, maize, or rice, yam is a native product of these regions and is thus deeply rooted in the culture of their populations.
What is traditional festival in Nigeria?
Among notable ‘masquerade’ festivals in the Yoruba culture is the Eyo festival-a festival unique to the people of Lagos, Nigeria. Osun festival, in Osogbo Olojo festivals in Ife and Sango festival in Oyo are various other religious festivals done to celebrate indigenous gods and goddesses.
What festival do the Yoruba celebrate?
Oro Festival
Oro Festival is an event celebrated by towns and settlements of Yoruba origin. It is an annual traditional festival that is of patriarchal nature, as it is only celebrated by male descendants who are paternal natives to the specific locations where the particular event is taking place.