Igbo Celebrations & Festivities By Avery Bishop, Ethan Derome, Erick Arcos, and Genard Abrigo

Mrs. Reilly // 3rd Period // Honors Communication Arts 10
Overview

🔘 Types of Festivals and Holidays

🔘 Pre and Post Colonial Festivals

🔘 Signifance of Festivals to Igbo Community

Pre Colonial Festivities

Yam Festival ~ Rainy Season 🔘

Week of Peace ~ Prior to Harvest Season 🔘

Masquerade Traditions 🔘

Post Colonial Festivities

🔘 Nigerian Independance (October 1)

🔘 New Years (January 1)

🔘 Christmas (December 24-26)

🔘 Easter (March-April)

Yam Festival

FACTS:

Celebrated to signify the end and the beginning of the harvest/farming season

Honors the Earth Goddess Ala and ancestral spirits of the clan

Yams are referred to as "The King of the Crops" to the Igbo people

Produces 71% of total production of yams in the world

Yams = Most important crop in Nigeria

Pre colonialism:

Celebrated in a 2-day span:

First Day = Altar creation for honoring ancestors/gods

Second Day = Yam Feast

Punishment for Stealing Yams

Disclaimer: This is not a representation of an Igbo execution. These people are clearly not Igbo.

Post coloNialism:

Similar to Thanksgiving

Minimal attention toward earth goddess due to new Christian religion

Ancestors still honored; 2-day format still celebrated

A yam stolen means a life ban from the tribe

Yam Festival Artwork
Week of Peace: Facts

Sacred week celebrated prior to rainy season 🔘

No physical violence, abuse, or offensive language on others 🔘

Families often spend time restoring peace through meditation 🔘

Week of Peace: Pre Colonialism vs Post Colonialism

🔘 Before Nigeria got colonized: No violence during the sacred week (See Things Fall Apart)

🔘 After Nigeria got colonized: Sacred week was celebrated same way... But violence is less acceptable now than before

Masquerade Tradition: Facts

Used in social gatherings, burial rituals, and other festivities 🔘

Men dressed in colorful robes and strange masks 🔘

Costumes represented spiritual elements, deities, and sometimes dead relatives 🔘

Examples of Masquerades
Masquerade Tradition: Pre Colonialism

🔘 Used to maintain peace and order

🔘 Community would sing and dance while masquerades would expose them on their bad habits or crimes

🔘 Identity of masquerades were secret and strictly male

Masquerade Tradition: Post Colonialism

Masquerades are mainly used for cultural entertainment 🔘

Used more frequently for tourist attractions 🔘

Symbolizes spirits of the deceased 🔘

Summary

🔘 Types of Holidays

🔘 Facts and Signifance

🔘 Effects of Igbo Culture Before and After Colonization

Questions?
Created with images by Mariamichelle - "hut dwelling africa" • Maira Fornazza - "peace" • MigraineAgain - "graffiti peace sign" • fotshot - "face mask green" • bee wolf ray - "tribal shadow" • Bilal Kamoon - "Question Mark Graffiti"

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