NEW YAM FESTIVAL

The New Yam Festival is a celebration that depicts the prominence of yam in the social-cultural life of the rural people. The evening prior to the day of the festival, all old yams (from the previous year's crop) are consumed or discarded.
This is because it is believed that the New Year must begin with tasty, fresh yams instead of the old dried-up crops of the previous year.The next day, only dishes of yam are served at the feast, as the festival is symbolic of the abundance of the produce.

Though the style and methods may differ from one community to another, the essential components that make up the festival remain the same.The New Yam festival is celebrated in pomp and cultural display.  Hundreds of masquerades, dancers in beautiful attires and acrobatic displays. The festival includes some fetish activities that make people question its intent. This is because usually at the beginning of the festival, the yams are offered to the gods of the land and ancestors first before giving them to the villagers.
In some communities the celebration lasts a whole day, while in many places it may last a week or more.

These festivities normally include a variety of entertainments and ceremony, including the performance of rites by the king or the eldest man, and cultural dances by men, women, and their children. The festival features cultural activities in the form of contemporary shows, masquerade dances, and fashion parades.

Tell us how this festival is celebrated in your area.

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