Harvesting Abundance: Exploring Nigeria’s New Yam Festival and Cultural Celebrations

Wondering where you want to spend the summer holidays? In this article, we will be Exploring Nigeria’s New Yam Festival and Cultural Celebrations. 

The New Yam Festival, also known as “Iwa Ji” “Igwa hi” or “Iri Ji Ohuru” in Igbo, is a traditional cultural festival celebrated in various parts of Nigeria, particularly among the Igbo ethnic group. It is an annual event that typically takes place between August and October, depending on the local community’s customs and agricultural calendar.

The New Yam Festival is an important cultural and religious event that marks the beginning of the yam harvesting season. Yams hold significant cultural and economic value in many Nigerian communities as they are considered the king of crops and a symbol of wealth, fertility, and abundance.

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During the festival, people gather to give thanks to the gods and ancestors for a successful harvest and to seek blessings for the new planting season. The celebration is characterized by various traditional rituals, ceremonies, music, dance performances, and feasting.

Exploring Nigeria’s New Yam Festival and Cultural Celebrations: Festivities

The festival begins with the ceremonial digging up of the first yams by the community’s elders or the chief priest. This symbolizes the official start of the harvest season.

The first yams are washed, peeled, and presented to the deities and ancestors as offerings of gratitude for a bountiful harvest. Prayers are said, asking for continued protection, prosperity, and blessings.

If you are a cultural explorer, you will enjoy this part. Colorful cultural displays, traditional dances, masquerades, and music performances are a central part of the celebration. People dress in vibrant traditional attires and showcase their cultural heritage.

After the rituals and ceremonies, a grand feast is held, where various yam dishes and other traditional foods are prepared and shared among the community members and guests.

The festival provides an opportunity for showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the community, including traditional art, crafts, and historical displays.

The New Yam Festival is a time for fostering unity, communal bonding, and appreciation for nature’s abundance. It serves as a reminder of the importance of agriculture in Nigerian society and the deep connection between the people and the land.

In as much as the Igbo culture is widely known for this celebration, This festival is performed in other states like Kogi State.

What do you think? Would you be traveling for the festival? Let us know in the comment section below.