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Yoruba calendar

The Yoruba calendar (Yoruba: or Kojoda) is a calendar used by the Yoruba people of southwestern and north central Nigeria and southern Benin. The calendar has a year beginning on the last moon of May or first moon of June of the Gregorian calendar. The new year coincides with the festival.

The traditional Yoruba week has four days. The four days that are dedicated to the Orisha () and other supernatural beings go as follow:

Beier (1959) notes that:

"It is the priests of the Orisa Oko (the farm god) who are responsible for keeping the 'calendar' and the fixing of festival dates is usually done in consultation with them. The priests of Orisa Oko keep count of the months by sacrificing a pigeon at every new moon abd keeping the head of the pigeon in a special calabash."

To reconcile with the Gregorian calendar, Yoruba people also measure time in seven days a week and four weeks a month. The four-day calendar was dedicated to the Orishas and the seven-day calendar is for doing business.

The seven days are: (Sunday), (Monday), (Tuesday), (Wednesday), (Thursday), (Friday) and (Saturday).

Time () is measured in (seconds), (minutes), (hours), (days), (weeks), (months) and (years).

There are 60 seconds () in 1 minute (); 60 minutes () in 1 hour (); 24 hours () in 1 day (); 7 days () in 1 week (); 4 or 5 weeks () in one month (); 52 weeks (), 12 months (), and 365 days () in 1 year ().

Calendar examples

The Yoruba traditional calendar is called “KỌ́JỌ́DÁ” 'Kí ọjọ́ dá,' meaning: may the day be clearly foreseen.

The traditional Yoruba calendar (Kọ́jọ́dá) has a 4-day week, 7-week month and 13 months in a year. The 91 weeks in a year added up to 364 days. The Yoruba year spans from 3 June of a Gregorian calendar year to 2 June of the following year. According to the calendar developed by Remi-Niyi Alaran, the Gregorian year AD is the year of Yoruba records of time. With the British colonial and European cultural invasions, came the need to reconcile with the Gregorian calendar: Yoruba people also measure time in seven days a week and 52 weeks a year.

Calendar terminologies

Worship of the in specific months

(January)

(February)

  • Dedicated to ( of , the deep seas or oceans), patron of sailors, and guardian of souls lost at sea.

February 21–25

(March)

  • Annual rites of passage for men

March 12–28

  • Dedicated to Oduduwa "Iyaagbe," of Earth and matron of the (the world), father of the Yoruba people

March 15–19

  • Also dedicated to ( of Adventure and the hunt).

March 21–24:

(April)

  • Onset of rainy season

(May)

  • Dedicated to (Commemoration of the Ancestors, including community founders and illustrious dead).

(June)

  • June 3: Onset of the Yoruba New Year ( is the year of Yoruba culture). = of Divination and custodian of the . It includes a Mass gathering of the Yoruba in the city of Ife, regarded as the center of creation.
  • Sopona – of Disease and smallpox, also known as Obaluaye. Ṣọ̀pọ̀na is also the word for smallpox disease.
  • Ọ̀sanyìn – of Plants, magic, Medicine, and patron of the healing professions
  • 10–23: Annual rites of passage for women
  • 18–21: Yemoja = mother of the , of fertility, women, and water).

(July)

  • : first and second weeks in July
  • Oko (Agriculture) – Harvests & worship of the Òrìṣà of Farming Oko
  • Dedicated to "" – one who has power to seize. He is the great Communicator and Messenger of the will of .
  • Dedicated to "Jakuta" – the of Energy, (Thunder), and (lightning)

August

  • The annual festival occurs in August
  • Dedicated to – of Fertility and custodian of the female essence who guides pregnancies to term.
  • Dedicated to Ogun – of iron/metals (i.e. a smith), war crafts, hunting, technology and engineering. The custodian of truth and executioner of justice, as such patron of the legal and counselling professions who must swear to uphold truth while biting on a piece of metal. (last weekend of August)

(September)

  • It is the month in which festivals such as New Yam Festivals, are being celebrated and it is a month of blessing. It celebrates the richness of Yoruba culture.
  • September 8th the day of mama oshun

(October)

  • refers to the intense rain showers that occur during the month
  • Dedicated to Oya ( of the river Niger whose is the guardian of gateway between the physical realm (Aye) and the spiritual realm (Òrún).
  • Also dedicated to – of , the realm of the unsettled spirits and the ghosts of the dead that have left Aye and are forsaken of (Heaven).
  • Also the onset of the dry season

(November)

(December)

  • Dedicated to ( of disease & healing).
  • Onset of the Harmattan Season – ""

References

External links

  • , Afropedea