This ceremony takes place at the end of the rainy season, after the
harvest has been gathered. It is partly a kind of harvest festival but
also serves another purpose - eligible young men and women of the
village are displayed before each other to be ritually acquainted.
The festival occurs once evey four years, and only the very wealthy
can afford to have their children take part in the matchmaking
ceremony. But all the villagers are able to join in the festival
atmosphere.
In the past, the young girls who took part in the festival
traditionally wore no clothing, but in modern times, because nudity is
frowned upon, they are clothed.
The chief parts of the girls' display are the numerous heavy armlets
and leg ornaments that they wear. They are so heavy that the girls
must hold their arms over their heads during the entire festival, in
order to support the weight of them. Their hair is intricately plaited
with coral beads.
Both boys and girls have elaborate markings painted on their bodies.
The boys also take part in a tug- of-war as a demonstration of their
strength.
Saturday 28 June 2014
The Ibo Celebration of Onitsha Ivories
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