Celebration of New Yam Festival Amongst the Igbo People

Yam (plural yams) is a commonly grown tuber crop and a staple diet in many African and Asian homes.

The tasty and super starchy tuber crop is said to have its origin from Africa, Asia and The Caribbean. Yams are rich in calories and dietry fiber, as well as high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Where I come from here in Nigeria, in Igbo land to be precise, yams are often referred to as the king of all tuber crops because while yams vary in size which is as a result of the variation in the size and healthiness of a planted seed yam, they are generally bigger in size than other root crops that are grown; such as potatoes, cocoyams and cassava crops; and so the process of cultivation and harvesting of the crop most especially the harvest season is always celebrated with so much fanfare and feasting.

NEW YAM FESTIVAL

The age-long and undying culture of yam cultivation, celebration and preservation is one characteristic of the Igbo people, and it has been successfully handed down from one generation to the next, from the times of our forefathers in the olden days till this current generation.

A typical Igbo man's respect for the crop is unmatched. In the past, a man's wealth and strength was measured by the number of yam tubers he could produce.

The month of August down till November is always a festive season and a period of great gladness among the Igbo people of Nigeria and those in Diaspora who are committed to keeping the age-long culture alive, as it is the celebration of the new yam "Iwa Ji na Iri Ji Ohuru" as it is called in Igbo language.

So much significance is placed on new yam festival that Chinua Achebe of blessed memory gave credence to the yam dish in his book "THINGS FALL APART ". He described it thus :

"The pounded yam dish placed in front of the partakers of the Festival was as big as a mountain. People had to eat their way through it all night and it was only during the following day when the pounded yam "mountain" had gone down that people on one side recognized and greeted their family members on the other side of the dish for the first time "

I read that book sometime in 2020 during the lockdown and trust me, it is VERY interesting as well as enlightening about the culture of the Igbo people.

Iwa Ji which means the breaking of new yam and Iri Ji Ohuru which connotes eating of new yam is observed as a public event on certain appointed days of the year (ranging from August when the new yam is harvested) till the ending of the year.It is the feast of the new yam; the breaking of the biggest amongst the new yams followed by subsequent thanksgiving to the gods of the land for a bountiful harvest and to pray for renewed life and strength as well as the blessings and protection of the gods as the people partake in the festival and eating of the new yam.

To celebrate, an offering is made to the gods of the land with special reference to the presiding deity of the yam crop. My mother told me that in the olden days, fowls to be used as sacrifice must be carried to the farm and killed there, and the blood would be sprinkled on the farm. The biggest yam is then cut into large pieces and thrown to the Earth and the gods with special prayers of thanksgiving and supplications for blessings to the gods.

When the ceremony is over, everything is then taken home afterwards; the yams together with all the farming tools and implements are taken to the local deity and while the fowls are plucked, boiled and used to prepare various soups with which to eat the yam.

Different yam delicacies are then prepared (boiled yams and peppersoup with the chicken, pounded yam with various native soups, roasted yam and palm oil sauce) and feasted upon, amid so much merry making, spectacular street dances, songs and masquerade displays are the forms of jubilation that usually take place during the festive period.

In some areas in Igbo land, new yam cannot be eaten without first making the necessary sacrifices and prayers to the deities of the land - in fact, it is considered a taboo. Also, yam plays a very important role during traditional marriages. Not only in Igbo land alone but in the whole 250+ tribes of Nigeria and the whole of West Africa in general, traditional marriages are often referred and taken very seriously and marriages especially in Igbo land cannot take place without yams being in the dowry list. It is unheard of.

MY FAMILY TRADITIONS BEHIND YAM PREPARATION.

Yams can be prepared in various ways and for various occasions.

Inasmuch as yam is a staple diet, it would not be enjoyed if it is eaten on its own. To better enjoy yam no matter how you prepare it, it is better to eat it with a sauce or soup of your preference.

One common way preparing yams traditionally is by making it into a sticky dough called pounded yam, "fufu" among the Igbos and "iyan" among the Yoruba people. Notwithstanding, yam can be prepared into other, various dishes (like roasted yam, yam pottage, fried yam, boiled yam, candied yam, etc) but I am going to talk about how pounded yam is prepared during my family traditional functions.

During the yam festival for instance,after the prayers performed by the eldest man in the clan,the men beat drums, drink palm wine, dance and generally have a fun time while; the women and young girls all file into the built general kitchen to prepare yam dishes.

Big tubers of freshly harvested yams are cut up into sizes and put in a large pot to boil. Then the yams are boiled until they are soft in texture.

While that is ongoing, some of the women (about 2 or 3 women) wash the mortars and pestles and proceed to pound the soft yam into a smooth, sticky dough, sometimes dipping their pestles into a bowl of water beside them to give it that super smooth consistency.

Another group of women would be preparing different native soups like Oha soup, Okazi soup, Egusi soup (melon seed soup) and Okra soup with which to eat the yam.

I remember with nostalgia, the delicious soups laden with stockfish, meat and dried fish. Yummy yum yum. Hmmm.

There would be of course, freshly tapped palm wine and when all the cooking is done, the food is dished up and all the family members are called in to enjoy the feast.

New yam festival is always such a beautiful season and I hope that through this article, you my readers would want to come partake in and enjoy the next new yam festival.