KUCHICHEB FESTIVAL- MARCH 25, A SPECIAL DAY FOR KUTEB PEOPLE
KUCHICHEB FESTIVAL- MARCH 25, A SPECIAL DAY FOR KUTEB PEOPLE
Kuchicheb is usually a one week cultural festival celebrated as from the
25th March of each year by Kuteb people in Takum.
The
famous festival is that of opening and closing farming season: "The
Kuchicheb" a thanks giving festival for good harvest. It comes up every
25th day of March. It is celebrated by
first making a pilgrimage to Ussa hill to receive fire and a procession
back to Takum amidst Dances (sae) such as Sae Iki, Sae Kwop, Sae Rika,
sae Iwen, Sae Utarong/ Kutaron, Sae Kufa, Sae Ipwein, Sae Pippi, Sae
Rifyain, Sae Kumburu and Tagba.
The festival depicts Kutebs mode of
pre-colonial dressing, respect for law and order as commanded by the
ancestors and passed on by elders, Kukwen and the Ukwe. Its a show of
farming and hunting tools: a mark of Kuteb industry, show of hospitality
through lavish provision of food and drinks to Kutebs and quests, the
love for education through the strong participation of the younger ones
in the festival to receive words of wisdom from the Ukwe, etc. This
festival attracts participants and spectators from near and afar.
The Rukwen is the Special property of the senior clan, Likam. The
Rukwen rite is performed twice yearly. This is done before farm
preparation for crop production, and after harvest. It begins first at
the fung (farm stead) followed by "Surkwen" (clan hill) level ritual. At
the Sorkwen level all clan members attend it from near and far
settlements. It is accompanied by Iki (masquerade) dances at village
squares. The rule guiding this festivals is that no one prepares a new
farm until the clan rites have been performed and no clan may perform
these rites until Likam has first performed them and is to be attended
by clans representatives to acquire new virtues before clan ceremonies.
Therefore if there is drought the Kukwen performs the rites at Mbarikam
hill . He spreads his blue robe which then is followed by heavy rain
fall after the last persons in his company steps his feet on the base of
the hill. And the rain do not touch them as the move back home.
The famous festival is that of opening and closing farming season: "The Kuchicheb" a thanks giving festival for good harvest. It comes up every 25th day of March. It is celebrated by first making a pilgrimage to Ussa hill to receive fire and a procession back to Takum amidst Dances (sae) such as Sae Iki, Sae Kwop, Sae Rika, sae Iwen, Sae Utarong/ Kutaron, Sae Kufa, Sae Ipwein, Sae Pippi, Sae Rifyain, Sae Kumburu and Tagba.
The festival depicts Kutebs mode of pre-colonial dressing, respect for law and order as commanded by the ancestors and passed on by elders, Kukwen and the Ukwe. Its a show of farming and hunting tools: a mark of Kuteb industry, show of hospitality through lavish provision of food and drinks to Kutebs and quests, the love for education through the strong participation of the younger ones in the festival to receive words of wisdom from the Ukwe, etc. This festival attracts participants and spectators from near and afar.
The Rukwen is the Special property of the senior clan, Likam. The Rukwen rite is performed twice yearly. This is done before farm preparation for crop production, and after harvest. It begins first at the fung (farm stead) followed by "Surkwen" (clan hill) level ritual. At the Sorkwen level all clan members attend it from near and far settlements. It is accompanied by Iki (masquerade) dances at village squares. The rule guiding this festivals is that no one prepares a new farm until the clan rites have been performed and no clan may perform these rites until Likam has first performed them and is to be attended by clans representatives to acquire new virtues before clan ceremonies. Therefore if there is drought the Kukwen performs the rites at Mbarikam hill . He spreads his blue robe which then is followed by heavy rain fall after the last persons in his company steps his feet on the base of the hill. And the rain do not touch them as the move back home.
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