Iri Ji Festival Imo State

New Yam festival in Igboland of Nigeria or among the Igbo and their friends in Diaspora is always marked with ceremonies.

A scene from an Iriji Festival in Igboland

The occasion of Iwa Ji and Iri-ji Ohuru or new-yam eating festival is a cultural feast with its deep significance. The individual agrarian communities or subsistence agricultural population groups, have their days for this august occasion during which a range of festivities mark the eating of new yam.

To the Igbo, therefore, the day is symbolic of enjoyment after the cultivation season. Yam culture is momentous with hoe-knife life to manage the planting and tending of tuberous requirements. Yam farmers in Isu Njaba of Igboland know this well.

Iri Ji is celebrated among igbos in Mbaise

Mbaise nation is in Imo State, is made up of 3 local government areas which include, Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise, and Ezinihitte Mbaise.
Iri Ji Mbaise is widely attended by both visitors and Mbaise people. It attracts Mbaise Sons and Daughters both at home and in the Diaspora. It is the most attended event in Mbaise land among many other festivals.

It is celebrated every 15th of August in Mbaise is popularly known as Iriji Mbaise festival.
Iri Ji Mbaise is an annual event which signals the beginning of harvest season in Mbaise nation. The celebration dates years back with one Local Government among the three LGAs playing host each year.

Roasted Yam for Iri Ji Festival

Every Mbaise sons and daughters, the New Yam Festival (Iriji Mbaise) is a cultural feast with a deep significance.

On that day August 15, families are expected to be in the Iri Ji spirit. The Iri Ji spirit entails that every family will go into the farm, harvest at least a tuber of yam to be prepared in commemoration of the festival. This can be prepared as “Ji miri oku Na okuko (yam pepper soup with chicken) ji ahuru ahu Na mmanu (yam with oil), among other special ways of preparing new yam.

Mbaise people has many remarkable cultures and festivals the celebrates local government by local government, community by community but that of Iriji Mbaise is a general festival that bring Mbaise sons and daughters together.

There is this believe that as an Mbaise daughter, born and married in Mbaise, is always bless more than those married outside Mbaise.

Iriji Mbaise festival is one that would not fail to be mentioned and remembered as long as there is life and our people carried out their farming activity each year, people from east of the nation and we’re proud of our culture.