Celebrations
Feast of the new yam: Every year before the harvest people give thanks to the goddess Ani. They celebrate this by disposing of all of the new yams to buy making lots of different foods including yams like foo-foo and soups.
Week of peace: During the week of peace, no work is done. It is to honor Ani the earth goddess. During this time villagers usually, visit their neighbors and drink palm wine. As they say in the village “A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness.”(19) This means a person who pays respect to their elders and to their gods has more of a chance to be successful in the religion.
Bride price ritual: In this ritual, the brides family is paid by the groom for her hand in marriage. The brides family hands out a bundle of sticks, these sticks represent courses (money). The family then pass the sticks back and fourth until a price can be agreed upon. Once an agreement is made there is a feast with foo-foo and palm wine to celebrate the engagement.
Wedding ceremony: The day before the wedding the groom comes to the bride's village with lots of palm wine for the celebration. The number of pots of palm wine determines how valued the new bride is. The mother of the bride typically cooks meals and the father of the bride presents a goat to the groom's family, then slaughters it.
Funerals ceremony: Whenever someone dies under good circumstances, they have a ceremony. This includes the accident drum being beaten, and guns and cannons being shot off. Many of the people who attend wear raffia skirts and paint themselves with coal. However, if a person dies of leprosy or of suicide then the death is not celebrated. They are then thrown into the evil forest and can not be touched by the Ibo people.