NIGERIA: Nigeria's Igbo people celebrate the annual yam festival with dancing and singing after a bumper harvest crop

Record ID: 234843

  • Title: NIGERIA: Nigeria's Igbo people celebrate the annual yam festival with dancing and singing after a bumper harvest crop
  • Date: 7th September 2011
  • Summary: ANAMBRA, NIGERIA (SEPTEMBER 02, 2011) (REUTERS) TRADITIONAL STATUE OF THE IGBO TRIBE CARS ON THE STREETS OF ANAMBRA MARTINS EZEH, EXHUMING SYMBOLIC YAM FROM THE GROUND VARIOUS OF THE YAM BEING CEREMONIOUSLY CUT IN TWO (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHUKEMEKE EZEFE, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE SAYING: "Once a year we gather to thank God for his grace and the gift of rains, sun, the foods, we put it together because yam is our principal food and celebrated as the new yam, so it is a day to give thanks to God as our traditional thanksgiving to God." YAMs ON DISPLAY
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria, Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Domestic Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA5AGDP5TR6IX12G4X6RPNDEATN
  • Story Text: Thousands of Nigeria's Igbo people attended this years annual Yam festival in the southeast state of Anambra over the weekend.
    The yam festival marked at the end of the rainy season is a tradition practiced throughout parts of Nigeria and West Africa and symbolises the start of a new harvest.
    Yams, because of their importance in the community, are usually the first crop to be harvested and traditional rituals meant to express gratitude to gods of the community and the land are done.
    According to ancient beliefs a yam festival cannot be held in a community unless all old tubers from the previous year are consumed or discarded to avert the anger of gods.
    On the day of the festival the role of exhuming and eating the first yam is performed by the community king or elder better known as Igwe, who offers the yams to the gods, deities and ancestors to express gratitude for a good harvest.
    Chukemeke Ezefe, former governor of Anambra state said the annual yam festival was an important aspect in the tradition and consumption of the tubers.
    "Once a year we gather to thank God for his grace and the gift of rains, sun, the foods, we put it together because yam is our principal food and celebrated as the new yam, so it is a day to give thanks to God as our traditional thanksgiving to God," Ezefe said.
    Yam producing communities in South east Nigeria believe that failure to observe rituals associated with the harvest of the new yam can result in catastrophic suffering and even large numbers of deaths in the community.
    During the festival day only dishes of yam are shared among friends and families. This symbolises its abundance in the community.
    Other activities such as folk dancing, drumming and costumed processions take place once the first yam has been eaten and involve hundreds of people from the local community who come to share in the feast.
    Nigeria has numerous rich cultural festivities such the Osun fertility festival, the Argungu fishing festivals and the Kano horse derby which have become tourist attractions as well.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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