Yams

**What is a yam? **
- A yam is similar to a sweet potato, but is grown in Africa, while sweet potatoes are grown in Asia. - A yam is a large vegetable that grows from the ground (like a potato) that tastes sweet. - Yams can be kept for a long time by either keeping in dark, cool rooms or it can be turned into flour. - In America, we use yams while celebrating Thanksgiving. ====- Yams are very significant to Nigeria because they are plentiful, they are considered as one of their biggest cash crop, and many holidays and festivals are based on the Yams. ==== - The major holiday/festival that the Igbo celebrate is The New Yam Festival - This festival represents the start of a new harvest and working season - It is almost a break from work to start the new season and a time of celebration - The people are now only celebrating the yams rather than actually making them. - They are trading more now than they are growing crops. - The nation is producing less and less yams.
 * Why is yam important to the Igbo? **
 * Problems today for the Igbo's yam **



Picture URLs: [] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">http://www.bay-area-sports-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/yams.jpg <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">http://www.vivienne-mackie.com/articles/holidays/family/teddyyam.jpg <span style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Works Cited <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"BBC News - Celebrating Nigeria's Yummy Yams." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//BBC - Homepage// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11385436>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Igbo Festival: In Honour of New Yam." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//Philip Emeagwali - A Father of the Internet - Pioneer of the Supercomputer That Is an Internet// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.emeagwali.com/nigeria/cuisine/igbo-new-yam-festival.html>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"MOTHERLAND NIGERIA: FESTIVALS (by Boomie O.)." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//MOTHERLAND NIGERIA (By Boomie O.)// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.motherlandnigeria.com/festivals.html#new_yam>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Yam Festival." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//A Multicultural Thanksgiving at FamilyCulture.com// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.familyculture.com/holidays/yamfestival.htm>.