New Yam Festival, A Cultural heritage of Ndi Igbo.

Background – As more and more people keep tending towards the scientific and computer age, here comes the importance to put into print some of the significant customs and traditions that keep us outstanding from all other cultures in the world. The author had been asked by some of the guests that attended the New Yam Festival in Poland about the significance of the New yam festival and the meaning thereafter. No explanation would be more sufficient than a well-detailed article like this; what is the significance of New yam Festival in Igboland or to the Igbos?  Why is Yam used instead? When should it be celebrated? Is it a fetish festival?  These and many more questions are what the article aims to achieve.

To begin, it is significant to mention also that the author is not an authority in Igbo culture and greater sources have been derived from the father, a learned and proud custodian of the Igbo culture and traditions, Mr Malachy Ahaiwe. Thanks to him, we could have this article published after his thorough and close corrections and review.

Historically, New yam festival used to be a festival reserved only for the titled men in Igbo land. The Igbos pay attention to achievement and rewards achievement with recognition. Chinua Achebe affirms to this when he says, ‘‘Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered”[1]. As the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings. And their achievement is always linked to their title. Such as  – Eze Ji, etc. Titled men in this regard refers to those conferred with special respect for their great harvests in yam and other food products. They were conferred with the title of “Eze Ji” – which literally means the King of Yam. These titled men would offer the biggest portion of their harvest – to Aha Njoku – the god of harvest and fertility.

In Igbo mythology, Ahia Njoku, also known as Ifejioku, Aha Njoku, is a goddess worshipped by the Igbo people of Nigeria. She is responsible for yams, which were an important ingredient in the Igbo diet, and the women who care for them. The Ahanjoku Festival is celebrated among the Igbo people on a full moon before the New Yam Festival.[2]

In the ancient days  – Ahia Njoku festival used to be an annual festival that precedes the New Yam festival.[3]  What does New yam festival mean? It simply means a time to appreciate the goddess and deity for granting the farmer a good and bountiful harvest after a successful farming season. In appreciation, a good quantity of yam is usually cooked and taken to the shrine of the deity to thank the gods.

Over the years, New yam festival had taken a different dimension especially with the advent of Christianity. While some Christians see this celebration as a fetish and pagan practice, some others perform quite similar practice but in another manner. Unlike those who take to the shrine, some Christians take their harvest to the church instead for a blessing by the Priest or Pastor as the case may be.


Video Credit: Chrys Moroko from New Yam Festival in Poland, 2023.


Nowadays, It is no longer a celebration reserved for the “King of Yam – Eze Ji” but a festival for the entire Igbos to appreciate God and be thankful for another year’s harvest.  

Further more, one other striking question about the element of this festival comes to mind, why yam? In response to this the author had decided to draw strength from Chinua Achebe’s famous work “Things Fall Apart”. In this reputable debut of Achebe, he had expounded on the traditional Igbo settings and respect for hardworking. Unoka, the Father of Okonkwo was described as a lazy and irresponsible fellow as he could not even go to farm with others to fend for his family. At his death, Okonkwo had refused to slaughter a goat for him as it is customary to honour one’s dead as he remarked that he never had even a goat while he was alive.[4]  Drawing strength further, Unoka had consulted the Oracle of the Hills and Caves, asking why he had produced bad harvests each year in spite of his sacrifices and planting procedures. During his story, Chika (the priestess of the Oracle) interrupted him angrily and told him that he hadn't offended the gods, but in his laziness, he took the easy way out by planting on exhausted land. She told him to go home and "work like a man."[5]

Unlike Unoka the father of Okonkwo, Achebe had described Nwakibie as a prosperous and respectable man in the village because of his hardwork and three (3) yam barns. This gives more evident how yam is seen in Igbo land. Yam is described as the king of the crops and for some people, they plant yam first in their farmland before other crops precede.

Yam is a tuber crop that requires a lot of hardwork and patience both in planting and throughout the cycle until harvest period. Yam is a tropical crop that is predominantly grown in West African countries. Back in the ancient Igbo land, a wealthy man is identified by the number of barns and tuber of yams in his barns. To highlight more the importance of yam in Igbo land, it is one of the must-bring items during traditional ceremonies in Igbo land. Ceremonies like; Traditional wedding, omugwo (postpartum care), Child dedication, Christmas, and above all New yam festival celebrations.

Finally, there are no stricter rules on when the Igbos celebrate the New Yam Festival but it is usually celebrated during the month of August through the early days in October. Festivals in Nigeria are unique and are characterized by dancing and all other attractions that could make people have fun and feel relaxed. The activities on such occasions vary from place to place but in most cases, it comprises of presentation of kolanuts, presentation of yam, masquerade dancing, cultural dances and other fun-filled activities and refreshment.

  

Keywords – Culture, Yam, Divine, Fetish, Barn, Things Fall Apart, Customs, Festival, Pagan.


[1] C. Achebe, Internet Source, Things Fall Apart, https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/825843-things-fall-apart, accessed on 03.10.2023.

[2] Internet Source, https://gods-goddess.fandom.com/wiki/Aha_Njoku Accessed: 03.10.2023 06:45 GMT.

[4] Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, internet sources,


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