NEW YAM FEASTIVAL: A Sacred Thanksgiving To God Of Harvest, Reclaiming Our Identify Through Umunri Legacy. By Ichie Ifeanyi Ndulue
smnifeanyi@gmail.com
In a world caught in the whirlwind of globalization, technological advancement, and shifting identities, the soul of a people must not be forgotten. For the Igbo nation, a people of ancient wisdom, enterprise, and divine ancestry, the festival of Awam Ji (New Yam Festival) is not just a cultural performance. It is a sacred act of thanksgiving, a spiritual covenant with Chukwu Okike (God the Creator), and an eternal reminder that we are a people deeply rooted in divine order.
As we prepare for Awam Ji Okpalariam 2025 in the historic town of Enugwu-Agidi, under the spiritual guidance of His Royal Highness Igwe Michael Chidozie Okekeuche, Okpalariam III, the time has come not only to celebrate, but to awaken.
FROM ANCESTRAL SOIL TO SACRED CELEBRATEION: The True Meaning of Awam Ji
New yam feastival is far more than the harvest of yam. It is the renewal of life, a sacrament of survival, and a festival of deep spiritual gratitude. It is a moment when the entire community bows in unison to say: “Thank You, God, for life, for rain, for land, for seed, for survival.”
In Igbo cosmology, Yam is king, not just a crop, but a sacred offering. It is the first gift of the soil and the last line of survival. For centuries, our forebears understood that no matter how great a people may become, if they forget to give thanks, they break the circle of blessing.
Through Awam Ji, we reconnect with that truth. We purify the land. We appease the ancestors. We proclaim the start of a new agricultural and spiritual year. And we teach the younger generation that no future can survive without roots.
UMUNRI DYNASTY:
The Cradle of Igbo Civilization and the Womb of Awam Ji
There is no better place to witness this sacred drama than in the ancient Umunri Dynasty, where Enugwu-Agidi stands as a living pillar. Umunri is not only a geographical region; it is the spiritual womb of the Igbo nation, the land from which kingship, title-taking, and sacred customs radiated across Igboland.
It was here that the sacred rites of yam, chieftaincy, and divine kingship were first performed. It was here that Eri, the ancestral patriarch of the Igbo, first received the covenant of divine rulership. The yam, in this context, is not just food, it is a symbol of divine sustenance and ancestral continuity.
Therefore, in Enugwu-Agidi, Awam Ji is not entertainment, it is obligation. It is the voice of the ancestors calling their children home. It is a spiritual calendar marked by reverence, not convenience.
THE IGWE:
Not Just a King, But a Spiritual Bridge
In every New Yam Festival, the traditional ruler stands at the center, not as a politician, but as a spiritual conduit, a priest of the land, and a father of the people. In Enugwu-Agidi, this sacred mantle is carried with dignity by His Royal Highness Igwe Michael Chidozie Okekeuche, Okpalariam III, a monarch whose reign has come to symbolize peace, identity, and visionary leadership.
As custodian of tradition, Igwe Okpalariam III leads the people in the sacred rite of Iwa Ji, the ceremonial breaking and tasting of the new yam. But more than that, he performs the rituals of spiritual cleansing, offers prayers of thanksgiving, and calls forth blessings for abundance, peace, and unity.
Through his leadership, culture is not dying, it is rising. Through his wisdom, the throne is not distant, it is present, purposeful, and prophetic.
REVERENCE FOR THE THRONE:
A Call to All Igbo Communities
The erosion of respect for traditional institutions across Igbo land is not just a social concern, it is a spiritual crisis. Our ancestors built societies where the throne was sacred, the chiefs were moral compasses, and the king was the voice of both the people and the gods.
Today, in the name of modernity, many forget that without our Obi, our Igwe, our Ichie, and our Ofo, we are a tree without roots, tall, perhaps, but destined to fall.
Now more than ever, Igbo communities must return to the throne, not with blind loyalty, but with cultural consciousness. Let us strengthen our traditional councils, honor our kings and elders, and build partnerships between the throne and the youth. Let us remember that a kingless people are a scattered people, and a community without cultural pride cannot claim dignity in any world.
2025 NEW YAM FEASTIVAL:
A Homecoming of The Spirit.
This year's Awam Ji is not just a celebration; it is a homecoming of the spirit. A reminder that every Enugwu-Agidi son and daughter, whether in Lagos, London, New York, or Nnewi, must reconnect with the altar of heritage.
Let the sound of the ogene call us back. Let the taste of the yam remind us of who we are. Let the throne of Okpalariam remind us that leadership rooted in tradition is leadership that lasts.
Let us come together, old and young, home and abroad, to thank the God of Harvest who has never forsaken His people, and to honor the ancestors who planted the seeds of our survival.
IN CONCLUSION: The Future is in Our Past
Awam Ji is not a costume parade. It is a living covenant. It is how we tell the world that the Igbo spirit is not lost, it is alive, awake, and eternal. It is how we declare that faith, family, and festival are the true foundations of any great people.
Let us rise, as one people, and make this year's Awam Ji Okpalariam a declaration to the world, that Enugwu-Agidi remembers, that Umunri stands tall, and that Igbo heritage will never die.
May our children grow up proud of their name. May our culture shine like the morning sun. And may Chukwu Okike, the God of the Harvest, continue to bless us, now and forever.
Long live Enugwu-Agidi.
Long live the Okpalariam.
Long live the sacred traditions of our fathers.
*Ichie Ifeanyi Ndulue*
(Chief Onyima Enugwu-Agidi)
_Advocate for African Cultural Renaissance and Preservation_
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