he ate with the kings and elders This shows how hard work and success were honored during such festivals Rituals and Preparations Before the feast began all old yams were thrown away No one could eat the new crop before offering some to the gods The women cleaned the cooking pots calabashes and bowls They cooked yams foo-foo and vegetable soup in large amounts The festival brought people together in harmony Okonkwo s wives and daughters decorated their huts and painted their bodies with cam wood Joyful Celebration and Family Unity Men women and children enjoyed the feast with friends and relatives Music dance and laughter filled the air Food was shared in abundance The story was told of a rich man His mound of foo-foo was so high that guests sitting across could not see one another Wrestling and Community Spirit After the feast the people gathered to watch wrestling matches on the village grounds The young men showed strength and courage before the cheering crowd Even Okonkwo who once defeated Amalinze the Cat The narrator says He was not afraid of war He was a man of war In summary the New Yam Festival in Umuofia was a symbol of unity gratitude and joy It revealed the profound connection between humanity God and nature