Ehugbo people have their unique annual calendar (Ehugbo cultural calendar) of thirteen (13) lunar months but tailored into the Gregorian calendar of twelve months: January to December in the western world. We delineate the Ehugbo year using the phases of the moon (ỌNWA), hence we have Ọnwa Mbụ, Ọnwa Ẹbo rue N’Ọnwa iri l’ẹtọ (thirteen moon phases) beginning from August.
The Ehugbo New Year day begins on the New yam Festival day (izuku iri ji ọhụụ) which always falls on an
Eke market day from the 22nd to the 27th of August each year. This special Eke
Day is tagged “Eke gbaga gbahọ nnanị” which is the
only Eke day in Ehugbo when the market is not in session the day of the week Sunday to Saturday notwithstanding.
ỌNWA IRIJI
AUGUST 2008 |
24th AHỌ (Sunday): Iriji Ozizza save (Amorie)
26th Eke (Tuesday): Iriji Ehugbo. EHUGBO NEW YEAR DAY (Eke gbaga gbahọ nnanị)
27th ORIE (Wednesday): Ikọta eriri ikeji
28th AHỌ (Thursday): Ije na nja
29th NKWỌ (Friday): Ihe ẹhọ
30th Eke (Saturday): Iko Udumini Nkpoghoro (Nkworizu)
|
ỌNWA IKO UDUMINI/IKO IZU
SEPTEMBER 2008 |
3 Eke (Wednesday): Iko Udumini Itim (Izu ẹtọ)
7 Eke (Sunday): Iko Udumini Ohaisu (Izu ẹnọ)
From New Yam Festival Day to this point IZU ẸNỌ no formal sitting at ulubi Essa ya ẹtọ ie
legal recess.
11 Eke (Thursday): Iko ul’orie (Ezi Ota Amaizu alone) (Izu ise)
15 Eke (Monday): (Izu isii)
19 Eke (Friday): Anwata Ulo Iko Izu (Izu essa)
20 ORIE (Saturday): Iko Izu (first outing of isiji Ọkọchi)
24 ORIE (Wednesday): second outing of isiji ọkọchi
Preparation of yam barns for the harvest season commences (Ike awọọ Ọba)
28 ORIE (Sunday): Third outing of isiji ọkọchi
26 -30 NKWỌ EGWU EHIHIE by Amuzu & Amaobolobo women, approximately eight days (Izu ẹtọ) after iko izu
Ịgba Ọchọ begins in the last
week of September
|
ỌNWA MBE
OCTOBER
2008 |
Though the Mbe festival is celebrated every other year for the entire Ehugbo (except Itim group of villages) Mgba Ocho (wrestling) for women then ọchọ maa (for Ọkpaa ya Ọterụ) count for record purposes.
2 ORIE (Thursday): Fourth outing of isiji ọkọchi
* 2 & 6 Mmemme Udumini for Nd’Essa Ehugbo
6 ORIE (Monday): fifth outing of isiji ọkọchi
* Ụkpo Enọhia
10 ORIE (Friday): sixth outing of isiji ọkọchi
14 ORIE (Tuesday): Seventh and Last outing of isiji ọkọchi
15 AHỌ (Wednesday): Iti Osisi Mgbom & Amuro
16 NKWỌ (Thursday): 2nd day iti osisi; Ije n’ohia (Isubu Edda)
17 Eke (Friday): Ohe ẹkwọ
18 - 19 ORIE
& AHỌ (Saturday & Sunday): Ẹbụ mbe (Mbe satirical songs at Mgbom and Amuro) Egwu ebumbe Itim (Days 1&2)
19 AHỌ (Sunday): Okpa masquerade 1st Appearance (Okpa mbe)
19, 21, 23 (AHỌ, Eke, AHỌ): Mbe Ehugbo
Crop harvest for storage begins (ẹdụ, azama etc.)
Last week of October Iko Ọnoka (Iko Ọkọchi Ozizza) is preceded by Iko Ezeayi and Ọkọchi Nwanyi Nd’Orra
Amuzu Nkpoghoro, Uhu Ọhụụ, Agbor Nde Udu and Amosu Amachi Ohaisu clear their play grounds (Ịbọ Ogo)
|
ỌNWA ỊBỌ OGO/IBUZỌ ỌKỌCHI/IKO
ỌKỌCHI
NOVEMBER 2008 |
End of Imama dry season (EKPOFU IKO N’IMAMA OZIZZA)
On an Ahọ day is the day for IBỌ OGO (clearing of the play ground) for the rest of Ehugbo. Then follows the IBUZỌ ỌKỌCHI, which has to be on an Orie or Nkwọ Saturday after the clearing.
ỌKPA, ỌTERỤ, LỤGỤLỤ
& other masquerades become regular on Eke, and AHỌ
days. Lụgụlụ is not universal on Orie days, but Ewanka
& Ọgbal’orie ore.
IKO ỌKỌCHI EHUGBO starts about the last week. This year 2008 it starts on 27th November: from Nkpoghoro through Ugwuegu, Ohaisu, Itim, Ibii
& Ọnụ Ogo onyeanị.
On the Orie days that the feast ‘IKO’ starts are for Njenje Masquerades mainly for receiving Host Village Groups. (Nde n’achọ iko).
Igwuji (yam harvest) mainly for storage seriously engage the attention of farmers.
N/B: From Ahia Eke Iko Nkpoghoro to Ahia Eke Itim there are no formal meetings in the Ulubi Etọ ya Essa
for settlement of disputes i.e. legal recess.
|
ATAMATA ỌKỌCHI (The peak of
ỌKỌCHI EHUGBO) ỌNWA ỌKỌCHI
DECEMBER 2008 |
IKO ỌKỌCHI in progress
for the next three weeks ending on 21/12/08 at Ọnogo Onye-ani located at elu ogo Amuro. Maternal
relatives confer on areas for farmland for the next farming season. Prospective farmers needing farmlands contact landowners for renting.
Anụumaehe/Akpọha Ngodo/Ojogwu display season
On Eke days during Iko ọkọchi deceased ancestors are ‘fed’ at the compound common (obu) Ịtụ nri na maa.
Okumkpo (Ọkụmkpa) open – play ground displays set in for Nd’iche.
Presently the Christian Christmas Festivities come hard on the heels of Iko Ọkọchi Ehugbo
|
ỌNWA EHỌMA/NTA (Communal
Fishing/Communal Hunting)
JANUARY 2009 |
Peak of Ọkumkpo Drama.
Between 10th
& 12th Ehọma communal fishing pond close to Out-eke. Officially lasts for four days beginning from Orie Day. However open to all as long as possible but not exceeding Iyi Eke (Izu essa hence)
Normal final burial (funeral) ceremonies for adult men who died between Feb
& Nov the
previous years. Climax. (“Iye n’uhie” or Ịdọn’uhie)
Communal hunting (NTA) is organized at unit
and village levels to feast the male traditional
elders with bush meat.
|
ỌNWA IYI – EKE/ISỤ EHIA
FEBRUARY 2009 |
08/02/09 1st AHỌ (Sunday): Ozuzu Ikwu n’Ehugbo (Kindred Meetings) across Ehugbo.
Lughulu Okwaẹbụ makes a “farewell to Ọkọchi” visit at Ulubi Essa the Eke before Iyi Eke. Igbu Ewu eke at Mgbom.
Between 10th & 12th Iyi – Eke (Communal Fishing Pond). Note well that on the Orie Day after Iyi Eke Eleri Enohia Nkalu buries the seed yam for the 2009
new yam ceremony. Final stages of the end of the dry season: Ọkọchi Ehugbo festivals and masquerades
Preliminary preparation for the farming season; percelation and
bush clearing of communal lands for the farm year – (Ịsụ ẹhia).
About the last week of this month is ‘Ikpọre Ajaba’: Dismantling and burning of the palm frond fences at the play grounds marking the end of Ogo Ọkọchi Ehugbo.
Final burial rites for deceased aged women commence and last till about July (Ịchụ eja ụmụnwanyi nwụhụrụ anwụhụ).
|
ỌNWA ỌKỤ OCHU/IBUZỌ OKWU
MARCH 2009 |
Ịtụ Ọmalị (offering of sacrifices at farm lands) in readiness for the farming season) about the first week of March. Early farmers start setting fire on cleared bushes (ọkụ ochu) followed by heaping/making mounds (okwu).
The first rains normally determine the time for
planting early maize and melon.
|
ỌNWA OKWU –
HEAPING/EGWU ỌNWA
APRIL 2009 |
Massive heaping and planting of various crops particularly yams and cassava at either the swampy areas (Ebe) or upland (Elu-ali) depending on the location of the farm.
Moonlight dance (EGWU ỌNWA) at village and sub-village play grounds. Obegele, Otikpaa, ili assa are common relocation games at the playgrounds and other open spaces.
Iko Ekwetanị in Kpoghirikpo/Enohia Itim.
|
ỌNWA IKPEAZU OKWU
MAY 2009 |
Cropping shifted to upland areas ‘elu ali’. Widespread weeding of the swampy areas and close upland areas cropped earlier.
As this year (2009) is wrestling year, Ogo Ibe (at Amaobolobo)
is cleared about the last week of May to clear the way
for imminent wrestling match contests.
Rice
farmers begin rice nursery farms.
|
| ỌNWA OMEJI / ỊTỤ ỤŅA MGBA /
ỤNWỤ
JUNE 2009 |
Directing yam vines omeji famine / period of scarcity.
Ịbọ (Ihuogo Amachi) about second week of June usually on an Nkwọ day.
The following day (Eke is Iko Ihugo and the “Ikpo” wrestlers final class in wrestling career) across Ehugbo go to pour their libation at Ogo Amachi. The next day Orie, Erebe ụnwụ
kicks off. The satirical songs are directed towards
thieves of money, yam or any food crop and other
belongings. Intra village wrestling contests (ỤŅA) to
choose contestants at various categories.
|
ỌNWA MGBA (programmed
transition period)
MID-JUNE TO MID-JULY 2009 |
Peak of Ehugbo wrestling matches intra and inter village groups wrestling contests for male of about seven years old to thirty years old. (The next contest will be in June-July 2011).
On the heels of male wrestling matches is Mgba Akpukpa (maize wrestling) for teenage girls.
Final burial rites for deceased aged women end before Eleri Ịwa ọji
|
ỌNWA ELERI
MID-JULY
2009 |
From about the 15th to the 17th Eleri Enohia Nkalu ‘breaks’ the customary kola (ỊWA ỌJỊ) for four
or five days following (NKWORIZU) the Eleri chief priest is in confinement and this is a period of restricted noise making (ANICHI EZI) throughout the ELERI ZONE in Enohia Nkalu.
A breach of the custom attracts a heavy penalty. The succeeding Eke day is IRIJI ELERI (Eleri’s New Yam Festival Day).
Note: At Ezi Nwachi Ndibe Nkpoghoro, the ANICHI EZI ceremony is ritually observed for record purposes but it does not count in Ehugbo Cultural Calendar.
The Orie day after Iriji Eleri, Erebe ikeji starts and lasts till mid-September.
Erebe Ikeji targets offenders of societal norms and traditions such as promiscuity, adultery, abortion, murder, tale bearing, sabotage, extreme wickedness, unstable family life, laziness, and child abuse etc.
IJE N’OBU: Ahia Orie/ikeji Eleri bụ ije n’obu. The day after Eleri’s new yam festival, Ehugbo Traditional elders Essa ya Onikara, save Nkpoghoro group of villages, go to Obi Agabi Amokwu Amangballa for day one consultation tagged NGIDINGIDI (silently/speechlessly). The following Ahọ day the consultation moves to Obu Amokwu Agbọ where the elders are modestly feasted.
The succeeding Nkwọ day, the Traditional Elders meet for the third successive day and are joined by Ekpuke ETỌ Ehugbo, again excluding Nkpoghoro group of villages. At this annual land mark meeting, the Ekpuke Etọ Ehugbo bear the cost of the usual lavish feasting. However, Amangballa people as a whole have customary kola and wine for the guests. Individuals across Ehugbo may donate cash or kind to the assembled traditional elders.
The dress code for every Essa and above attending is
strictly traditional.
Formal naming of the New Yam Festival Day is made at the tail end of the festive consultations. The Ekpuke Etọ are mandated to announce the date the following
day, Eke.
At the Eke market, the Etọ, customarily go round the market square and announce the agreed days for the year’s New Yam/New Year Festivals.
The transition period is usually between twenty-two (22) and twenty-six (26) days (IZU ESSA GBATA ẸSỌTỌ). Ozizza group of villages, except Amorie, eat the New Yam two days before the rest of Ehugbo.
|
| AUGUST 2009 |
The exact date of the commencement of the 2009-2010 Ehugbo Cultural year will depend on the calculations based on the appearance of the moon phases (ỌNWA). However, about mid-July when Eleri (meri ihensọ) breaks the kola other dates can be easily determined.
Nevertheless, Ehugbo New Yam Day always falls on an Eke Day between the 22nd and 27th of Ọnwa ikeji (August), of course accompanied by the paraphernalia of the season.
About a week to the New Year Festival, those involved in Isiji Udumini initiation usually go into confinement. |
