Ekpe Festival is one of the most important and exciting cultural celebrations of the people of ikwuano Local Government Area in Abia State Nigeria. This festival usually takes place every January and it marks the beginning of a new farming season.
We have four traditional market days, "Eke, Orie, Afo, Nkwo." Each village has its own designated market day, and the Ekpe festival is held on one of the market days, it is celebrated once every year. From January 1st, depending on how the market days fall on the calendar, different villages begin their celebration. No matter where you come from in ikwuano Local Government, your village must observe one of these four market days.
There is a life goat, a big Cutlass, masquerade and dress code for the festival. Let me start with the dress code. It is a strict dress code for everyone attending the festival. Men were supposed to wear trousers with wrapper tied on it, and a traditional cultural cap known as "Okpu Oburubu." Then the women will wear trousers or skirts with a wrapper tied on top. Children are not allowed to attend the main festival gathering
Let's talk about the masquerade. The village selects a brave and willing young man who will be dressed as the masquerade. Fully masked and adorned in traditional attire, he dances around the village square to entertain the crowd during the ceremony.
The big Cutlass is another important and sacred part of the Ekpe festival in ikwuano Local Government Area in Abia State. A Cutlass is selected and sharpened continuously for seven good days before the festival. It is sharpened carefully and traditionally to showcase spiritual authority, strength and readiness.
A healthy and strong goat is carefully selected and bought days before the celebration. The goat is kept for four market days and it's given only water during that period. This is done intentionally so that the goat becomes very hungry. On the day of the festival, when it's time for the masquerade to cut the goat's head, food will be placed before the goat to lure it. As the hungry goat stretches it's head forward to grab the food, the masquerade quickly uses the specially sharpened cutlass that has been prepared for seven days to cut off the head of the goat.
On the day of the festival, the masquerade is expected to use this sharpened cutlass to cut the head of the goat in one attempt. It is the believe of the villagers that if the masquerade successfully cuts the goats head at once, then it will be a sign of blessing, victory and a good farming year ahead for the villagers.
Then the entire village will be joyful and the celebration will then begin, children will now be allowed to come out and join in the jubilation, everywhere will be peaceful and everyone will be cheerfull. However, if the masquerade fails to cut the goat's head in one attempt, the event will end instantly, the atmosphere becomes tensed and people will quickly leave the village square.
If the masquerade succeeds, he continues the responsibility every year for seven years. On the seventh year which is going to be his retirement year, he is no longer cutting a goat's head this time but a cow's head. He will be given seven attempts to complete the task. villagers in all parts of the country travels to the village to witness the event, it's always a huge one. If he succeeds, there will be great celebration, feasting and merriments through out the village and beyond. His achievements will be recorded and he earns deep respect in the community. But if he fails after the seven attempts, it brings serious disappointment and tension to the occasion.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the festival, is how villages that are yet to celebrate their own turn, visit other villages to participate in their Ekpe celebration. That period, becomes a period of movement, people will travel from one village to another to witness this great occasion. It also becomes an opportunity to visit your extended families and friends who are living in other villages.
Ekpe festival is the cultural identity of the people of Ikwuano. It unite people, strengthens the bond among villages and families. That is what I have come to learn through our culture.
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The pictures are screenshots from youtube.