Courtesy Call/Homage to CEO of Lovebite Bread & Bev. Limited Factory, Nnobi After donating two thousand Loves of Bread worth ₦3.4m to Igboebinie PLC for Ufiejioku Global Festival celebration
Brothers, Sisters of Igbo descent, and Friends of Igboebinie PLC,
Our focus must return to Ufiejioku / Iri Ji ; by whatever name it is called in your local dialect. Thanksgiving is not idolatry. America observes its Thanksgiving, and so do China, India, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and other advanced nations. Cultural thanksgiving is not fetish—it is identity.
A few years ago, I happened to be in Switzerland during their national cheese festival. I was shocked that such a modern nation still honors an ancient cultural tradition. Every January 2nd, they celebrate National Swiss Cheese Day, rooted in their alpine, monastic cheese-making heritage—something many Africans would wrongly label fetish. Yet, Switzerland is one of the world’s most advanced and inclusive countries. In Greece, I witnessed Tsiknopempti (Smoky Thursday) a joyful day of roasting pork and meat before Lent. It fills every village with barbecue aroma. This is tradition, not idolatry. The same happens in China, Brazil, the UK, Italy, and even Rome, the headquarters of global Catholicism. Catholics themselves observe traditions not found in the Bible but woven into their religious identity.
Japan celebrates Obon, honoring ancestors with lanterns and ceremonial dances. South Korea celebrates Chuseok, their own harvest thanksgiving. China celebrates the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, another harvest celebration older than many religions. In the UK, they still celebrate Guy Fawkes Night, centuries old. In Italy and Spain, religious festivals are mixed with pre-Christian customs. Even Rome, the heart of Catholicism, still practices traditions that have roots in ancient rituals. Yet Africans, especially Nigerians and the Igbo nation, abandoned ours, believing, wrongly, that westernization means discarding who we are.
And while we threw our culture away, the West preserved theirs, refined theirs, blended old and new to strengthen national identity. A few days ago, the USA celebrated the largest family festival in the country, Thanksgiving. The President pardons a turkey at the White House. Every home, rich or poor, must roast a turkey. Yet no one calls it fetish.
So, what is wrong with our own traditions?
What is wrong with appreciating yam, the food that sustained our ancestors?
What is wrong with celebrating harvest?
What is wrong with sharing meals with family, friends, and neighbors in love?
If a few individuals choose to mix fetish practices into cultural days, does that make the culture itself evil? No. In every culture, even Western cultures, there are elements people avoid. But no nation throws away its entire identity because of the misuse of tradition by a few. Even Christmas, yes, Christmas , is a combination of Christian belief and ancient cultural traditions from Europe. The Christmas tree, mistletoe, carols, dates, and many other elements came from pre-Christian customs. Yet we celebrate it joyfully.
Let us remember what Scripture says:
“Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set. Proverbs 22:28
“Stand in the ways, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk therein.” Jeremiah 6:16
Our traditions are not idols.
Our festivals are not demons.
Our heritage is not a curse.
Culture is God’s gift for identity, unity, and continuity.
If some individuals choose fetish practices, that does not make Ufiejioku or Iri Ji evil. Christmas itself blends ancient rituals with Christian faith. And before anyone misunderstands:
I am a Christian—a believer in God, in Jesus the Savior, and in the Holy Spirit. I am not an eze mmuo or a practitioner of fetish arts. But tradition is not sin. Culture is not witchcraft.
We must not confuse our cultural heritage with the fetish practices of a few individuals. Rather, we should refine, modernize, and preserve the traditions handed down by our ancestors.
Ufiejioku (Iri Ji) is our equivalent of Thanksgiving.
Yam is to us what Turkey is to Americans.
New Yam Festival is to us what Chuseok is to Koreans and Moon Festival is to the Chinese.
We must preserve our masquerade traditions though not the fetish aspects, but the cultural and artistic expressions. We must protect our cultural festivals , not the extremes, but the noble parts that express gratitude, identity, and community.
The erosion of culture is the erosion of identity.
Let us bring back pride in who we are.
Let us refine what needs refining.
Let us stand boldly as Ndi Igbo people with a story, a heritage, and a destiny.
These are divine endorsements of cultural continuity. Let us therefore honor, protect, and pass down the cultural values entrusted to us. Ufiejioku is not just a festival it is our identity.
Dr. Okey Emezu
Odogwu Nwoke Ezuike
Chairman, Ufiejioku Global Committee