Afikpo Cultural Lunar Calendar
Afikpo Cultural Lunar Calendar:- Afikpo (Ehugbo) people have their distinctive yearly calendar (Ehugbo cultural calendar) of thirteen (13) lunar months but it is fit into the Gregorian calendar of twelve months: January to December in the western world.
The specific event dates for each year is determined by factors that include the market day, moon sightings and other factors.
We mark the Ehugbo year using the phases of the moon (ONWA), for this reason, we have Onwa Mbu, Onwa Ebo, rue N'Onwa iri l'eto (i.e first month, second month up to thirteenth month making up the thirteen moon phases) beginning from August.
The Ehugbo New Year day begins on the New yam Festival day (izuku iri ji ọhụụ) which always falls on an EKE MARKET day from the 22nd to the 27th of August each year. This special EKE DAY is tagged “Eke gbaga gbahọ nnanị” which is the ONLY EKE day in Ehugbo when the market is not in session the day of the week Sunday to Saturday notwithstanding.
The people of Afikpo strictly follow their Ehugbo (Afikpo) Traditional Calender.
A sample of the Ehugbo cultural calendar is as follows:-
- ỌNWA IRIJI (AUGUST)
- ỌNWA IKO UDUMINI/IKO IZU (SEPTEMBER)
- ỌNWA MBE (OCTOBER)
- ỌNWA ỊBỌ OGO/IBUZỌ ỌKỌCHI/IKO ỌKỌCHI (NOVEMBER)
- ATAMATA ỌKỌCHI (THE PEAK OF ỌKỌCHI EHUGBO) ỌNWA ỌKỌCHI (DECEMBER)
- ỌNWA EHỌMA/NTA(Communal Fishing/Communal Hunting) Peak of Ọkumkpo Drama (JANUARY)
- ỌNWA IYI –EKE/ISỤ EHIA (FEBRUARY)
- ỌNWA ỌKỤ OCHU/IBUZỌ OKWU (MARCH)
- ỌNWA OKWU (HEAPING)/EGWU ỌNWA(APRIL)
- ỌNWA IKPEAZU OKWU (MAY)
- ỌNWA OMEJI /ỊTỤ ỤÑA MGBA/ ỤNWỤ (JUNE)
- ỌNWA MGBA (PROGRAMMED TRANSITION PERIOD)(MID JUNE TO MID JULY)
- ỌNWA ELERI (JULY)
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