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“Homowo” or “To Hoot at Hunger” (Ghana) and “Iriji” (Nigeria) (Thanks to my friend, Isaac C., who shared memories from Ghana and photographic ideas)
In Nigeria, also in western Africa, ‘Iriji” means “New Yams”, and the people also hope for a plentiful harvest. In Nigeria, the festival is celebrated mainly by the Igbo peoples, and various communities celebrate Iriji in different ways. But, all have a parade, songs, dancing and drumming. Because a good yam harvest is important for survival, the people give thanks to the spirits of the earth and sky. This festival is held once a year, usually in August or September, just as the rainy season is coming to an end, and crops are ripe and ready to harvest. There is plenty of maize (corn) as well as other vegetables, such as okra, beans, and yams. Yams are usually the first fruits of the harvest, the staple food of many peoples of western Africa. The yam is a large tuberous root related to the sweet potato, but not exactly the same. American sweet potatoes are usually orange, but African yams are white inside (but they still taste sweet). Yams are very versatile and can be cooked in many ways: roasted, boiled, added to soups and stews, fried, mashed, or dried and pounded into flour. The traditional dish is called fufu. This is boiled, mashed yams, with a little butter or oil, often still eaten in the traditional way---with the hands. At the Yam Feast, the local people serve yams with fish, chicken or lamb; or with vegetables, such as oil bean, pumpkin, corn, or African greens; or in a pepper soup. Dessert might be mangoes, guavas, pineapple or oranges. Drinks include fruit juices, palm wine and beer. In Ghana: This “To Hoot at Hunger” Festival takes place in many rural communities.
In Nigeria: On the first morning of the celebration, families make an altar in honor of their ancestors, the earth god Ala, and the yam god, Ihejioku. Village men go out to the farms to dig up the new yams, and give thanks in the village square. In their homes they make an offering to the ancestors of new yams, some white chalk, and a chicken. The chicken is for slaughter, and the chalk symbolizes purity and well-being. A feast with family, friends and neighbors follows.
Drums: Drums are a very important instrument throughout Africa, played on both happy and sad occasions, and are always played sometime during a harvest festival. Some drums are made from a calabash, a large bottle-shaped gourd. It is cut horizontally to make a large bowl and placed upside down. The surface is decorated with etched designs, and played with bundles of thin, flexible sticks.
Nature worship and animalism: Millions of Igbos and other West African peoples today are Christian or Muslim, but many still also pray to the ancient gods. As in old pagan religions, they believe that all objects in nature, such as trees, fields, mountains, are given life by the spirits who live inside them. The people believe that if they honor the spirits they will be rewarded with a good harvest. For the yam harvest they need to honor the yam spirits, the earth goddess that nourishes the crops, and the water god that brings rains. Masks: Masks originated from this nature worship and animalism. Many people believe that masked men embody the spirit of the harvest gods, so through the masqueraders the gods can interact with the community. The masks tell stories and are closely linked to the culture. The masks are often very large and detailed, using a variety of materials. Some are carved from wood, while others are made from bark, animal skins, plant fibers, and woven cloth. The masked ritual dances are always accompanied by drumming. Recipe for Yam Muffins (very easy) INGREDIENTS: 1 cup cooked yams, mashed METHOD: 1. Preheat oven to 350, and grease muffin tins, or arrange paper muffin cups on a baking sheet. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well 3. Pour the batter into the muffin tins or paper cups until 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.
(about Kente Cloth) http://www.marshall.edu/akanart/cloth_kente.html (about Yams) http://ipgri-pa.grinfo.net/index.php?itemid=697&catid=22 (Harvest Festivals in Africa) http://www.harvestfestivals.net/africanfestivals.htm |
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JustSayGO Travel Show
The Yam Festival in Ghana, a country in western
Africa, is also called the “Homowo” or “To Hoot at Hunger” Festival:
the people hope for a good harvest so no famine will hit the people
in the coming year. 
Women dig up the yams and carry them home in baskets on their heads. Everyone is proud of the harvest and wants to be the family with the largest crop. Villagers gather together as the women and young girls prepare the feast, with the yams as prized food. They choose a young boy to carry the best yams to the festival dinner, and another boy follows him beating a drum. Other young people from the village march to the beat of the drum and the sound of a woodwind instrument. Chiefs, under umbrellas and wearing robes made from the famous, brightly colored, Ghanaian Kente Cloth (which spread, as a symbol of African design, to other African countries) follow the yams, and the young people dance. Other activities include singing, wearing animal masks, and displaying fetishes. 
On the second day, the villagers gather to watch young men in wrestling contests. In the morning the wrestlers eat roasted yams, which they believe will give them strength, and village elders are chosen as judges. Drums welcome the wrestlers, divided into two teams, into the village square. When a wrestler wins a round, drummers beat their drums again, and young women come into the circle and dance. Eating, drinking, and talking also continue the whole day into the evening.
For more Information:
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