The Uyor festival popularly known as New Yam Festival of the of Umusadege~Ogbe people of Kwale, Ndokwa West LGA., of Delta State is a bi~annual cultural festival by the Umusadege people held at the end of every rainy season usually in late October or early November of its celebration year.
The Iwa Iji festival (literally referred to as "cutting of new-yam") is practiced throughout West Africa (especially in Nigeria and Ghana) and other African countries and beyond, symbolizing the conclusion of an harvest and the beginning of a new work cycle.
The celebration is a very culturally based occasion, tying individual Umusadege quarters together as essentially agrarian and vastly dependent on yam.
Yams par se are the first crop to be harvested, and are the most important crop of the region. The New Yam Festival is therefore a celebration depicting the prominence of yam in the social-cultural life of Umusadege people.
The evening prior to the first day of the festival, all old yams (from the previous year's crop) are consumed or discarded. This is because it is believed that the New Year must begin with tasty and fresh yams instead of the old dried-up crops of the previous year. The next day, only dishes of new yam are served at the feast, as the festival is symbolic of the abundance of the produce.
Though the style and methods may differ from one community to the other, or from year to year, the essential components that make up the festival remains the same.
In some communities the celebration lasts a whole day, while in many places it may exceed a day as in the case of Umusadege Community (2days).
These festivities normally include a variety of entertainments and ceremony, including the performance of rites by the eldest or par se, wisest man in the community, others includes, traditional rites, wrestling competitions, cultural dances, live local band performances, traditional dance and some magical displays by Umusadege men, youths, and even children.
The festival features also, cultural activities in the form of contemporary shows, masquerade dances, and cultural fashion parades as this year's Uyor festival posses no difference as it comes with loads of fun and excitement as peoples, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunties, nieces and nephews, from far and near will in no difference hit the streets of Umusadege~Ogbe causing traffic jam to showcase their rich cultural heritage that has kept every other neighbouring community marvelled.
This year, as the chief organisers of the event, on behalf of the Umusadege Community, the Otu~Uzomi humbly led by Comr. Lucky Kunili~Ochiagha has as usual opened again her invitations to all and sundry, friends and folks, big and small, government and non government organisations, whites or blacks, lovers of culture and tourism from far and wide to join in this epoch making festival as this year's festival has posed to surpass the records of the previous festivals.
Date : 1st November, 2016 - 2nd November, 2016.
Time : Dawn to Dusk, as your strength can carry.
Don't be told as all road leads to Umusadege community, Kwale, Delta State come November 1st.
Special Guest of Honour: Sen. Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, (Executive Governor, Delta State).
Comr. Imalah Ugoachanum
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