The vintage prose of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart allows western readers a glimpse into Nigeria’s New Yam festival. In fact, your Nigerian neighbours could be celebrating it next door. But what’s it all about?
Basically, it signifies the end of one farming season with the harvest of the yams, and the beginning of another. The yam is a very large root vegetable, much like a sweet potato, which is one of the staple foods of the west African people.
Tube-shaped, the yam is the most important economic crop of the Igbo tribe populating the fertile lands of eastern Nigeria. Prior to the colonial era, the number of yams stacked in barns was the yardstick for measuring wealth in Igboland.
In the pre-colonial Igboland, the yam was so respected that a special title, King of Yams (Ezeji), signified a farmer’s elevation to a special status within the community. One must have been a very energetic farmer with outstanding barns of yam if he was to qualify. The title is a reward for strength, resilience, courage and wealth.
Like the yam crop, the people also revere the spirit of the land (Ala) and other deities which are invoked spiritually for a bountiful yam harvest.
The spiritual part of the New Yam festival is as important as the crop itself, because of the people’s way of life. As a very religious group, the Igbo tribe believes in offering prayers and libations to a supreme being in the heavens called Chukwu.
As a matter of belief, the supreme one controls all deities associated with crop fertility, including Ala. And being the king of all crops, the processes involved in the planting, harvesting and preservation of yam attracts special attention.
The celebration of the first harvest involves the gathering of the community, whereby the eldest of the clan – usually also a priest, and a vessel for messages from the deities – will eat the roasted yam with others. This tradition is still strong today, as most Christian families in the countryside will use yam as gifts in the church and other places of worship. Igbos of all ages participate actively in the New Yam festival each year.
The most important thing for Igbos during the August harvest and New Yam festival is to gather together as brothers and sisters eating from the same bowl. As they equally rejoice with their invited guests, friends and relatives alike, the festival calls for brotherhood.
The new yam brings people of different cultures and backgrounds together to celebrate one of west Africa’s most important crops. And this even happens among the diaspora in Ireland. Apart from being a catalyst to togetherness and unity, the yam crop signifies dignity and vitality.
The New Yam festival also provides a platform for the cultural heritage of the Igbo. Masquerades (mmanwu) of all shapes and sizes are a star attraction of this August gathering, which also gives pride of place to competitions in wrestling and dancing.
But most of all, the festival is about recognition of the supreme being who rewards the people’s hard work through a bountiful harvest.
Ukachukwu Okorie is originally from Nigeria and writes weekly for Metro Éireann. Visit his website at www.olumouka.com
