An In-Depth Look at the Ngboejeogu Itutara Festival and Its Meaning

In one of his famous lines, Edmund Burke posits that “People will never look forward to posterity who never looks backwards to their ancestors”. The above dictum is the reason the people of Ngboejeogu, irrespective of the wave of Christianity and civilization, pay attention to their valuable culture and traditions.

Ngboejeogu celebrates cultural festivals in different calendar months and seasons. Itutara Festival, a feast that is memorable and remarkable in Ngbo, is among the cultural festivals celebrated with funfair. Itutara festival is a feast celebrated by all the present 10 autonomous communities in Ngbo on the fourth Azu-okwo in the seventh month of the Ngbo Calendar. It is usually in May or June yearly, depending on the nature of the Ngbo calendar. Itutara festival is remarkable as it marks the end of yam abundance and the beginning of food scarcity in Ngbo. The feast goes with a particular dance called “Itutara Dance” been displayed during the festival for the circumcised girls of the season and the newly married women of the year before civilisation drove out the revered circumspection, following the implications identified by medical experts. Itutara dance is equally played on burial, title taking and other ceremonies, etc.

Itutara festival is heralded by the appearance of the moon, known as “Onwa Itutara” in Ngbo parlance. Ngboejeogu people are always filled with excitement, sighting the Itutara moon. Children and adults demonstrate a high level of excitement the moment the moon is sighted. The joy that accompanies the feast cannot be overemphasized. 

As the feast draws close, in line with cultural demand, every path leading to various villages and compounds would be kept clean to wear a festive look. Children, on their part, will be booming toy guns called “Egbe-Kpaa” daily with the aid of matches (Nkpo-Oku) in preparation for the festival. Women, as a result of the joy that accompanies the feast, scrub their houses, whilst, men repair their fences (Ose Obvor) with what is called “Ojirishe” in Ngboejeogu. Mothers, on their part, prepare their daughters with extra care to give appropriate credit and prestige to their intending husbands. 

Itutara festival is a feast that is embraced by Ngbo people as it was introduced when Ngbo people settled at their present abode. Historically, the Itutara feast was introduced in Ngbo by Pa Agbo Obazhi of blessed memory, a traveller, a hunter and artist from Ndu Onwe Akpu of Anma Mkpuma in Umuezeka Community after his expensive tour in major parts of Eastern Nigeria decades ago. Initially, there was a great dance called “Emirima” dance in Ngbo before the advent of Itutara, but after the elders of Umuezeka Ngbo met and brainstormed at Anmegu Village Square in Umuezeka years back, they resolved collectively that the Emirima dance collapsed with Itutara dance.

Noteworthy, the Itutara festival is one of the oldest and most momentous festivals in the Ngboejeogu Cultural background. At the festival, young men and females are initiated into adulthood after passing through what is called Ibu ubvu (Circumcision which is not obsolete). It is the period when unmarried men, especially eligible bachelors prepare themselves to impress the spinsters on the feast day. They use the opportunity to look for their heartthrob as girls ripe for marriage decorate themselves with beads, indigo, and dye, among others, looking comely to attract suitors.

Though the feast is solely for dance, merriment and excitement, it equally serves as a period wherein people of Ngboejeogu reaffirm mutual relationship with their ancestors, friends, in-laws, loved ones and well-wishers. Additionally, it also serves as a period when the people of Ngboejeogu rededicate their loyalty to their traditional institution. 

The festival has a specific political connotation which reemphasizes the role of and importance of Ndu Ogerenya and Ishiali in Ngbo (Elders and Head of Tradition). As this great feast approaches, the parents, the new husband and a committee of friends prepare enough materials needed for the feast. Much is spent on a special and final shopping day known as Okwo Itutara Market Day. This involves the purchase of articles like Clothes, Food, Melons, Matches (Nkpo Oku), Bush Meat, Toy Guns (Egbe-kpa), and other crucial items considered necessary for the feast.

More so, prospective husbands whose wives are still with their parents usually send their wives special gifts called “Ikwa Ibvu Nwanyi”,. which is contained in a big box with Beads, wrappers, creams, shoes, Ankara, etc. It is worth noting that Itutara dance is designed purposefully for both sexes for the promotion of Unity and diversification of Ngboejeogu culture/Tradition. Male folk on their part dance a particular aspect of the Itutara dance called “Oke Gburu Ishi”

Furthermore, Itutara drums are solely played by the male folk. Itutara dance is made up of seven drums of different sizes and lengths with two rattles (Oshirisha), namely Ogwe, the longest and second to the biggest, which serves as a base drum and moderate Ekete. Another is Oguma which serves as Tenor. Others are; Ekannabo, Oke-eke, Ekete, Nnema or Nnenkwa with rattles (Oshirisha). 

Itutara festival is celebrated for one week, and each day has distinct characteristics that make it unique from other days. On Ekoshi, two days before the feast, the circumcised girls will have their bodies decorated with Nkashi Ali, Uyri, Uphe, Odor and Elokpo (Bead). On this specific day, their prospective husbands will be seen hooting smithed guns (Igba Egbe-Kpa). On Owokwo day, the maidens who are circumcised will decorate themselves with Indigos and other necessary attire, while a goat or ram will be slaughtered for them as a mark of honour by their host parents. Later in the day, they will move to Ndulo (Ancestral Home) from the various hinterlands (Ndegu). On the day before the feast, referred to as (Okwo Itutara), the dancers of Itutara are meant to rehearse with Itutara drummers. On Okwo Night, the husbands of the circumcised girls are meant to spend a night with their respective wives. The essence is to enable them to announce on time that their wives had come to end the period of circumcision. And the announcement is made @ 5 am on Azu-okwo which is a day specifically for the feast. After the above stages, they will be sent to Obodo (Playground) with a large entourage to tour the ancient 8 playgrounds in Ngbo for the Itutara dance. While men who are the drummers dress up with wrappers, singlets, manes and caps to the playground for the dance proper, children, on their part, will be hooting the smithed gun and on the ears of some maiden to scare them. As this takes place, traditionally, strong Children normally take away smithed guns of the lesser children forcefully and run away. Lovers of the feast would be seen, distributing matches to the children to give the atmosphere of the environment a festive look.

Consequently, on the night after the dance display, when those who came for the Itutara dance have dispersed, another special dance called the “Spirit” dance will be displayed. This is solely for the drummers and the Elders. The next day, which is Unugwe, is designated as the climax of the feast. On this day, cooking melon soup, drinking palm wine, eating, and exchanging items are done. Friends visit their friends for merry and wine.

One of the major significance of Itutara is that It marks the end of the dry season, an abundance of food and the beginning of the famine period in Ngbo. Itutara is significant as it serves as a period where men, women and children are expected to embrace one another to propel development, unity, and love in Ngboejeogu. It was equally a period wherein unmarried ladies showed pride in their womanhood, boasted of being a virgin and maintained good decorum to attract suitors. Itutara is a period when men prove that they have prepared themselves for marriage and as well pick a maiden that would be their wife. It is a time when in-laws exchange pleasantries with their mother, father, brother or sisters-in-law. In-law families usually give what is called (Esheke) to those they named after their daughter or son (Ogbo). The feast is very unique; it unites children together as they boom Egbe-kpa in unison with excitement.

Plausibly, the Itutara feast is essential to all, irrespective of economic, sociopolitical and religious conviction. Ngboejeogu Itutara festival is enjoyable and entertaining. It remains one of the most cherished festivals in Ngbo due to the fun that is associated with it. 

This year’s Itutara is remarkable, as it coincided with the Children’s Day celebration, thus offering our children the platform to meet together and celebrate peace and happiness. As Ngboejeogu Ọchị Mgboro lé Íshí Nwa Ónyé Ọzọ celebrates the 2025 Itutara festival on this day, 27th 2025 (Azu-Okwo), For all the Sons and daughters of Ngboejeogu nation; it calls for sober reflection on the ethics, norms, valuable culture and tradition of Ndu Ngboejeogu. The eminent sons and daughters of Igbo extraction are expected to use this period to reconcile their differences, institutionalise peace, embrace one another, eschew hatred, land dispute, acrimony, bitterness, rancour, pull him down syndrome and, as well uphold the cultural heritage of Ngboejeogu for the overall development of Ngbo.