Market Days in Igbo land

There are four market days in the Igbo land, these are Nkwor, Eke, Orie and Afor. Nkwor is the first market day, followed by Eke, Orie and Afor.

Market days in Igbo land are very significant so much that every region in the Igbo land has set aside a day which will allow her to observe the customs, practices and traditions in the land. For the Amaigbo natives, Eke market day is the day set aside to observe the customs in Amaigbo. Amongst the traditions and practices observed today in Amaigbo are: natives are not allowed to farm on Eke day, and no marital rites or marriage ceremony takes place on this day.

A number of reasons has been put forward as to why these observations are made, the reason I found most interesting is that the Amaigbo natives were predominantly farmers who toiled in their farms day after day and would sell their harvest on Eke market day. Consequently, no one had the time to visit their brethren or pay homage to one another during special occasions such as the birth of a child. People were so pre-occupied with farming and selling their goods that important events and functions were neglected.

As a result, necessary changes were put in place to negate isolation and self-centeredness that prevalent amongst them. The natives were as a result compelled not to farm on Eke day so as to enable them to fraternise with those who were celebrating. This enactment has to this date deterred farming in Amaigbo. It has nevertheless, advanced fraternity amongst the natives.

It would be interesting to note another practice which is still observed in Amaigbo today, the natives are not permitted to perform any kind of marriage rites on the Eke market day. It is sacrilegious to permit any marital rites in Amaigbo on this day. Marriage ceremony is conducted on any other day aside the Eke day. If anybody was foolhardy as to contravene the customs and traditions by getting married on this market day, such person(s) would most certainly receive vilification from the natives. The person(s) will either be excluded from the community or ostracised by her clan. It is believed that things certainly turn topsy-turvy for such person (s) who engage in such blasphemous act.