The New Yam Festival observed in Umuofia
Things Fall Apart is a notable literary work by Chinua Achebe. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Things Fall Apart.
Answer
Present a short account of how the New Yam Festival was observed in Umuofia. [2020] ✪✪✪ Or, “The New Yam Festival was thus an occasion for joy throughout Umuofia.” Elucidate. [2018]
African people are known to celebrate unique and often unusual festivals and customs, as reflected in many African literary works. The New Yam Festival is such a festival, found in “Things Fall Apart” (1958). It takes place every year before the harvest season. It marks the beginning of plenty and the end of hunger. The festival honors the Earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the clan.
A Time of Joy and Thanks: The New Yam Festival was a season of happiness in Umuofia. The festival was held to thank the Earth goddess for blessing them with a bountiful harvest. It was a time to welcome the new year with fresh hope. The narrator says,
“Okonkwo had clearly washed his hands and so he ate with the kings and elders.”
This shows how hard work and success were honored during such festivals.
Rituals and Preparations: Before the feast began, all old yams were thrown away. No one could eat the new crop before offering some to the gods. The women cleaned the cooking pots, calabashes, and bowls. They cooked yams, foo-foo, and vegetable soup in large amounts. The festival brought people together in harmony. Okonkwo’s wives and daughters decorated their huts and painted their bodies with cam wood.
Joyful Celebration and Family Unity: Men, women, and children enjoyed the feast with friends and relatives. Music, dance, and laughter filled the air. Food was shared in abundance. The story was told of a rich man. His mound of foo-foo was so high that guests sitting across could not see one another.
Wrestling and Community Spirit: After the feast, the people gathered to watch wrestling matches on the village grounds. The young men showed strength and courage before the cheering crowd. Even Okonkwo, who once defeated Amalinze the Cat. The narrator says,
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