Things to know about Orureshi (New Yam Festival) in Owukpa

 

The New Yam….
The New Yam Festival consists of prayers and thanks for the years past. Yam is the main agricultural crop of the Idomas, Tivs and Igbos. It is the “staple” food of the Idoma and Tiv people. The New Yam Festival, known as Orureshi in Owukpa in Idoma west. It is a celebration depicting the prominence of yam in the social and cultural life. The festival is very promiment among all the major tribes in Benue state, mainly around August.

Men and women, young and old, look forward to this festival because it begins a new yam season.
On the last night before the festival, yams from the old year are disposed of or preserved for the next planting season. The new yam festival must begin with tasty, fresh yams. 

All cooking pots, calabashes and wooden bowls are thoroughly washed, especially the wooden mortar in which yam is pounded.

Pounded yam with ogbono, egusi vegetable soups (the suops vary according to individual or group) is the main food in the celebration. So much of it is cooked that, no matter how heavily the family eats or how many friends and relatives they invite from the neighboring villages, there is always a large quantity of food left over at the end of the day.

The celebration is followed by various cultural dance with the dispaly of masquerades from different clans or groups. This usually last to very late night. During the occasion is also a moment of reuniting old friends and family members.

Yams like Ododio, Ameh, Ege, Oku, Unechi, Ulayi, Obuna, Ichenke are famous in the community. 

Yam is highly respected in the area such that during the making of ridges, the owner would organize for the farmers. 

Women are not allowed to cross of trample on yams in Owukpa as the believe that if they do, the gods would take the yam. 

In communities like Udaburu-Ugbugbu, water yam and yam are not allowed to be peeled together.