Hello, my fellow #Hivers!
Today, I’d love to share the culture of my people - the Omuma people.
Omuma is a village located in Oru East Local Government Area, under the Orlu zone of Imo State, Nigeria. It is made up of several communities such as Imine Abia (which is my own community), Okwo-Owerri, and many others.
In Omuma, we observe various cultural festivals at different times of the year. These include:
The New Yam Festival (Iri Ji Ohuru)
Igba Ohu Dance Festival
Community Day Celebrations
Let me start by telling you about Igba Ohu.
Igba Ohu is a unique and colorful dance festival held every December in Omuma. Every village under Omuma participates in this dance, and it is scheduled one village after the other. Each village dances three times a week, after which the next village takes over. This continues until all the villages have taken part.
The event is grand - kings from different villages are usually present, and people from outside the village are warmly welcomed. Various masquerades of different sizes appear, each bearing a distinct name. One of the most popular masquerades is Akagbu, a short but dramatic masquerade known for its funny antics. If it spots a girl with a boy, it runs to them asking for money. But if a girl is indecently dressed… well, she better be ready to run!
Ohu dances are held in the morning, evening, and night. We call them:
Ohu Ututu (Morning Dance)
Ohu Mgbede (Evening Dance)
Ohu Abali (Night Dance)
Igba Ohu is always fun and memorable. Anytime we return to the village in December, we make sure to attend and enjoy the performances.
Community Day Celebrations
Each village in Omuma also celebrates a special "Day" for their community. For instance, we have Abia Day for my community, and Okwo-Owerri Day, among others.
Before these individual village days are celebrated, we first celebrate Omuma Day, which unites all the villages. On this day, the entire Omuma community - kings, women, men, children, friends, and masquerades gather in one place to celebrate together. It's a grand event with dancing, music, and lots of joy.
New Yam Festival (Iri Ji Ohuru)
The New Yam Festival is held to mark the beginning of yam consumption after the harvest. Before this festival, no one is allowed to eat yam in the village.
My father usually travels home for this festival, he never misses it. It’s a highly respected event. All the kings from the different villages gather and, together with their people, ceremonially to eat the new yam, even the governor is not left behind. After this, everyone is free to start eating yam in their own homes.
Even those who have left the village for other parts of the world make an effort to return for this celebration. The New Yam Festival is not just celebrated in Omuma but across Igbo land as a whole.
A Few Cultural Notes…
Before I end my story, let me share something unique about Omuma:
It is considered a taboo to kill an eke (python).
So, even if you see it on the road, you simply wait for it to pass. This belief is also common in many parts of Igbo land.
Lastly, a fun fact:
It is said that Imo State’s bride price is expensive!
So, if you plan to marry a woman from Imo, be well prepared 😄. But trust me Imo brides are always beautiful ❤️.
Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my story.
I hope you were entertained and learned something new about my culture.
I appreciate your support and look forward to your contributions in the comments 💕
#Hivers, I’ll be there