Iri ji New Yam Celebration
By Azubuike Chima
Aside from Kola Nut, another thing that is appreciated and referenced in my culture is Yam festival.
This is a story of Uzuakoli, a town located in Bende local council of Abia state. Every year around July-August her people makes ready to celebrate the new year festival which comes up in mid September with pomp and glamour.
If there is a festival, City dweller’s will not want to be told the story it is Iri- ji as most families at home and in diaspora graves for the celebration .
WHAT MAKES IRI-JI Special?
The fact that it brings about communal living, Brotherhood and sense of pride.it is a public celebration of yields without which new yams should not be consumed publicly.
Failure to adhere lead to fine. Families, friends, in- laws exchange varieties of New yam. Th
ese usually ranges from Yam Pepper soup,roasted Yam, pounded yam, Boiled yam accompanied with the best of our local soup spiced with Achara, okazi, utazi , uturukpa and so on for the delight of all.
There are instances where disputes were settled on this day because of the peculiarity of this festival.
WHY UZUAKOLI YAMS ARE SECOND TO NONE?
Hygiene of our Yams can not be debated within and around our State. Customers from all around and distances, come to buy yams in uzuakoli, best of the cleanliness of our yams.
Farmers take time to visit flowing streams to wash thoroughly before depositing them in their various Barns just to reduce excess sand as a result of harvesting, unlike most yams where buyers struggle with sand while cutting Yam into slices.
The taste of our yam is incomparable as it can be eaten with palm oil alone due to it pleasant taste.. Another reason worthy of note is the fact that it rarely become spoilt which is a regular norm for tubers…
Accompanied By An Evening of Wrestling….
Iri ji presents young men of different age groups quality time to show strength and abilities to the delight of most viewers after eating their varieties. The competition encourages inter village champions comprising of wrestlers from the five autonomous communities that constituents Uzuakoli.
Can there be a Festival without Masquerades?
Of course Christianity is fast gaining ground, for sometime now masquerading is becoming a thing of the past except for isolated cases.
Aka’ masquerade is a popular phenomenon for this occasion as it dances with it mirror- embedded costume to the delight of followers. Adnorned on multi colour outfits and whip used to deal with deviants….