✍🏾 Madalla Kadiri, Zaar Activist.
*Introduction*
The Lepm Zaar Festival is a ancient annual cultural festival celebrated by the Zaar people of Bauchi State North East Nigeria, the festival was typically held at the end of the rainy season in October.
According to tradition the celebration, performing the rites of festival of harvest in Zaarland mark the beginning of harvest season and consumption of new crops.
Here's what I found out about this fascinating festival:
*What is the Lepm Festival?*
The Lepm Festival, also known as festival of harvest was a celebration of the harvest season and the abundance of new crops. Crops are a staple food in West Africa and are considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
In the olden days in Zaar communities. The wealth, riches of a typical wealthy Man in Zaarland was measured by number of traditional storage facility (Fung) full of grain especially guinea corn, wives and Children he has.
*When is the Lepm Festival celebrated?*
The festival was usually celebrated at the end of the rainy season, which falls in October in all Zaar Villages. The festival normally last for more than two weeks.
*What happens during the Lepm Zaar Festival?*
The festival was a time for feasting, merrymaking, and thanksgiving in all Zaar villages. Food was prepared in abundance and taken to designated areas, where people had gathered.
Here are some of the activities that take place during the festival:
- *new harvest offerings*:
New harvest such as crops were offered to the gods and ancestors before consumption by Zaar communities.
- *Rituals*:
Rituals were performed to express gratitude to the gods for the harvest and to ensure a bountiful harvest in the future, a lot of masquerades come out during the festival,different cultural performances were done from morning till the next day such as singing, dancing and moving from house to house. The festival normally last for more than two weeks. Youth could move to another village singing and dancing for a week.
- *Feasting*: Only dishes made from old crops were served during the festival.
- *Cultural performances*:
There was a cultural performances, a lot of masquerades come out during the festival,different cultural performances were done from morning till the next day such as singing, dancing and moving from house to house. The festival normally last for more than two weeks. Youth could move to another village singing and dancing for a week.
*Where is the Lepm Zaar Festival celebrated?*
The Lepm Zaar Festival was celebrated in all Zaar villages
*What is the significant of the Lepm Zaar Festival?*
The Lepm Zaar Festival was significant because it symbolizes bumper harvest and the gratitude of the Zaar community for the harvest . It is also a time for Zaar community bonding and cultural expression.
Paradigm Shift in the Celebration of Lepm Zaar Festival.
There is a serious paradigm shift in the celebration of Lemp Zaar, our forefathers in the olden days celebrated Lepm Zaar festival acknowledging the gods, deities and their ancestors, but the present day celebration of Lepm Zaar is in reverence to Almighty God. In the ancient times, there were certain things and rituals that were always carried out by our forefathers during the Lepm Zaar festival, but with the emergence of Christianity, idolatry was done away with in the celebration.
Nowadays, Zaar all over the world each year gather at the heart of Tafawa Balewa to celebrate the Lepm Zaar festival as brothers and sisters and also as Christians whose intent is to thank the Almighty God for the gift of life, health, bumper harvest and opportunity for stepping into another harvest season.
According to tradition the celebration, performing the rites of the festival of harvest mark the beginning of harvest season, consumption of new crops.
The festival takes place in the month of "November" each year at Tafawa Balewa LGA of Bauchi State.
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