Iwa Ji: A Brief Commentary on the Significance of New Yam Festival in Igbo Culture

What is it? Iwa ji/iri ji/Ike ji, depending on the Igbo dialect, is one of the largest (arguably the largest) festivals in Igbo culture. In some Igbo communities, it is celebrated for four days. That’s how big it is. Although its origin is uncertain, it dates back to the earliest times of the Igbo people. Iwa ji literally means “to cut yam”; while iri ji means “to eat yam”. Regardless of the semantics, Iwa ji/iri ji/Ike ji all mean the same thing in the ceremonial context of New Yam Festival. Essentially, it’s the rite of celebrating New Yam in Igbo culture.

Why yam? What kind of crop needs a festival to be celebrated for it to be eaten? The short answer is because yam is regarded as the “King of Crops” in Igbo culture. There are many reasons for this notion amongst the Igbos, but it comes down to the economic, cultural, and social significance of the yam crop. For one, it is probably the most staple food of the Igbos. Any traditional Igbo cuisine typically includes a yam dish. On the economic side, the yam crop is one of the most popular cash crops (i.e. crops grown to generate profit) in West Africa, and the southern region of Nigeria (which is dominated by the Igbos) is the largest producer of yam. Ji is a symbol of wealth and prosperity, and a large yam barn is a sign of abundance and status within the community. Yams are also intertwined with Igbo cosmology and worldview in general, which is why they keep appearing in the Igbo folk oral literature. Aside from this economic benefit and cultural significance, Igbos revere the yam crop due to its very labour-intensive planting process, especially when done traditionally. It is customarily associated with men, symbolizing masculine strength and industry. Unlike other crops, every step of the cultivation process of yams requires high dexterity and precision - particularly, the vining and storage stages. In summary, the process of yam cultivation is pure artistry. This is such a big deal in the Igbo culture that there is a title specifically reserved for men who excel in yam farming. They are called “Eze Ji” which means “Yam King” or “King of Yam”.

When is it celebrated? To understand when Iwa Ji is celebrated, one needs to understand the Igbo traditional calendar. The Igbo calendar system is based on the lunar cycle (the phases of the moon). Flowing from that, the Igbo calendar recognizes 13 months, with each month starting with the appearance of a new moon. This is why, translating a month from English to Igbo, we’d say, for instance, “June” to be “onwa June”. Onwa literally translates to “moon”, hence “onwa June” does not literally translate to the “month of June”, rather it translates literally to the “moon of June”. The New Yam Festival celebration typically starts around the end of the sixth month (Onwa Agwu) and the beginning of the seventh month (Onwa Ifejioku). This usually falls at the end of the rainy season, somewhere around early August.

Why is it celebrated? The festival marks the end of the harvest season, especially the new yam harvest, and the beginning of the next farming cycle, epitomizing abundance and prosperity. Yams are among the first set of crops to be planted at the beginning of the planting season, and yet the last to be harvested. That alone tells a story. It symbolizes continuity and abundance. In some Igbo communities, all old yams (remaining from the previous year's harvest) must be consumed or dumped on the eve of the New Yam Festival. The next day, only dishes of yams are served at the feast, as the festival is symbolic of the abundance of the season’s produce. More than abundance, the festival is a grand show of culture and gratitude to the land for the harvest of the last farming season. It is also a channel for the Igbos to seek favour ahead of the next (farming) season. In modern parlance, the new yam festival is like a time of thanksgiving and gratitude. It strengthens community bonds, showcases Igbo heritage through vibrant music, dance, and masquerade performances, which reinforces cultural identity.