The Igbo’s usually celebrate the arrival of the new yam through a festival which
they call “iri Ji”. Ordinarily iri ji means to eat yam, but in the cultural context, it
means the new yam festival. Depending on the dialect some refer to it as ikeji,
iwaji, ifejioku etc.
Alluding to a legendary story from Nri, the ancestral clan of Igboland, it was
told of how in the olden times when there was famine the Eze Nri ( King of Nri )
took a drastic decision to end it. He killed his eldest son and daughter, mutilated
their body into into small pieces and burying them. Five months later, yam tendrils
(umeji) were observed to be growing at the very spot where the dismembered parts
of the body of the son was buried. In a similar note ede (coco-yam) began to grow
where the remains of the daughter was also buried. After some months, the Eze Nri
dug up fine large yam from his son’s grave and coco-yam from that of the
daughter’s grave. It was said that when he cooked them he found them to be very
delicious. The king handed out the yam and coco-yam to his subjects and
instructed them on how to plant them. From that period yam and coco-yam appeared and spread beyond the land.
It was also reputed that yam was part of the materials for homage and
enticement brought by colonial masters ( Portuguese) as they incurred into our
native land some centuries back. In Igbo culture, custom and traditions “new yam
festival” is celebrated in every part and corners of Igboland with utmost pomp and
pageantry second to none. It is however the only food crop celebrated in festivasl
throughout Igboland. Celebration of new yam festival is an annual event. Various
Igbo people celebrate their new yam festival as from August of every year to
November when the yams planted in the farm must have become ready for harvest and consumption. Traditionally, the role of eating the first yam is performed by eldest man in the community or King ( Igwe or Okenye ). Roasted yam coupled with red oil sauce may be used in new yam festival ceremony . This is because it is an ancient way of eating tuber of yam among the Igbos. Iri ji has a cultural feast with deep significance, purpose and aims. To the Igbos, the day is symbolic of family reunion and enjoyment of a bountiful harvest after a tedious season of cultivation. It is the official presentation of a newly cultivated tuber of yam to God Almighty, the ancestors of the land and also thank the gods for protection and for sustaining the lives of farmers, the indigenes of the land and the farm products, (the yam ) through a successful agricultural season. Above all, new yam marks the celebration of a new year hence the out pouring of thanksgiving and gratitude to God Almighty. The new yam also provokes sober reflection, a period of re-thinking, making amends and living in peace with one another.Article Sponsored Find something for everyone in our collection of colourful, bright and stylish socks. Buy individually or in bundles to add color to your sock drawer!
In Igbo culture, yam is given a masculine carriage among food crops as only
men of noble standing cultivate and deal on it. A woman does not plant yam. It is
capital offence to steal yam in igbo land whether they are new or old tuber. Such a
culprit is subjected to untold punishment, ostracized and quite often banished from
the community. It inflicts a taboo that forbids suitors from his lineage except those
from distant land. As a result of the integrity and carriage attached to yam,
successful farmers are bestowed with tittles such as Ezeji, Oriji, Osuji, Ogwuji,
Diji among other titles. The Ezeji title holder is not a pretentious yam farmer who
may hire or buy yams for his barns to take the title.The holder of the title must be
seen to own very big barn of hefty tubers and yam seedlings all of which must be
collectively dispensed conservatively to last one farming year till the next new yam festival. This must be inspected and approved by the members of the Ezeji fraternity before the title is conferred on any aspirant. Igbo names are not merely considered as tags by means of which individuals may be distinguished, but are intimately associated with various events. Some names reflect the circumstances of birth or prevailing conditions of the time. Often these spontaneous feelings are expressed in child- centered names given to Igbo children. Our forefathers so much regarded yam that they named some of their children in association with yam. This occurs when the Igbo word ji (yam) is used as prefix in certain names as in the following. Umeji, Iwuji, Jibuno or Jiwuaku, Jibuike, Jibugwu among other names.
The new yam festival is celebrated by the Igbo people of Eastern Nigeria as a
cultural festival that brings together people of that region during harvesting of the
new crops as a way to unite them. The feast is rich with cultural – traditions, local
menus ( mainly yam delicacies ) acrobatics, masquerade brilliant parades, royal
dances of different types, competitions and ethnic music. The colorful festival is a
spectacle of exhibited joy, gratitude to God and community display.