How Sunday Was Termed ‘Uka’ In The Igbo Language – A Look At The Days And Weeks Of Ndi Ìgbò

Many Ndi Igbo believe that the term ‘Uka’ means church and that Sunday, which is the day Igbo Christians go to church is also referred to as Uka. But that is not the case. To understand the origin of the term ‘Uka’ when referring to Sunday (church day) in ani Igbo, we must first trace back to our own indigenous days and weeks as Ndi Igbo, before the advent of ‘SUNDAY’.

Before the coming of the White man (Europeans/Caucasians), Ndi Igbo have and also practiced 4 days as a full week.

The days, called Ubochi/Ubosi/mbosi in the Igbo language were/are Eke, Orie, Afor, and Nkwo.

These four days make up the week which is known as ‘Izu’.

One week is known as otu izu. Then 7 weeks, called Izi asaa make one month, known as Onwa. This Izu assa is completed when the full moon appears, marking the end of one month and the beginning of another.

The new month (onwa ofuu) was announced by the traditional priests. These priests did so by monitoring the appearance and disappearance of the moon. That’s the reason a month is called Onwa in Igbo land. Onwa simply means the moon, as stated earlier.

In the Igbo calendar, 13 months made one full year, called Aro/Afo. According to tradition a new year in ancient Igbo land (as it is today) started around March/April; others claimed that it was around July. Whichever it was, it had something to do with the rainy season. 

There was a popular ritual among the wealthy, known as Ichu Aro (meaning casting away of the past year). In Ichu Aro, Ndi Igbo disposed of things they used in the previous year: this could only be easier around the farming season (April – July); if tried in December, it would mean disposing of harvests.

Chinua Achebe, in his book: Arrow of God, illustrated that the Igbo new year started around the harvest period (August/September). Which also coincides with the New yam festival. In his book, EzeUlu had 13 yams and ate one at the sight of every new year. The last tuber, which normally was consumed before harvest, introduces a restock of the new 13 ritual yams. 

Ndi Igbo had/have a rich culture and worldview, which was overturned at our encounter with the Europeans. After the controversial and forceful introduction of Christianity, Ndi Igbo started to use two different “week calendars.” One was the indigenous Izu with 4 days. The second one had 7 days, known as Izu Uka (translated literally as the Week of Conversation). 

Ikpari Uka means ‘to converse’; Uka simply means conversation. 

In the beginning, when the CMS (Church Mission Society) came into the eastern region of Nigeria, their evangelism – as expected – was more of a conversation with the natives. Reasoning together, which was the strategy used in converting members, is translated as ikparita Uka.

The new converts who accepted the new creed and jettisoned the traditional beliefs became – as they still are – ndi Uka. And their worship houses became Ulo Uka (House of Conversation or Reasoning). 

The 1st of the 7th-day cycle was set aside for conversations; therefore, that day (Sunday) became Ubochi Uka (the day of conversation). And every 7 days turned into an alternative week known till this day in Igbo land as Izu Uka: the week of conversation.

This Article Was Written By Chuka Nduneseokwu, Editor-In-Chief, Voice Of The Sun

Please Support and DONATE To Us. Help Us In Preserving Our History, Culture and Beliefs as Ndi Igbo. CLICK HERE to assist us financially.