Yoruba calendar


The Yoruba calendar is a calendar used by the Yoruba people of southwestern and north central Nigeria and southern Benin. The calendar has a year beginning on the last moon of May or first moon of June of the Gregorian calendar. The new year coincides with the Ifá festival.
The traditional Yoruba week has four days. The four days that are dedicated to the Orisha go as follow:
To reconcile with the Gregorian calendar, Yoruba people also measure time in seven days a week and four weeks a month. The four-day calendar was dedicated to the Orishas and the seven-day calendar is for doing business.
The seven days are: Ọjọ́-Àìkú, Ọjọ́-Ajé, O̩jọ́-Ìṣẹ́gun, Ọjọ́rú, Ọjọ́bo̩, Ọjọ́-E̩tì and O̩jọ́-Àbamé̩ta.
Time is measured in ìṣẹ́jú-àáyá, ìṣẹ́jú, wákàtì, ọjọ́, ọ̀sẹ̀, oṣù and ọdún.
There are 60 seconds in 1 minute ; 60 minutes in 1 hour ; 24 hours in 1 day ; 7 days in 1 week ; 4 or 5 weeks in one month ; 52 weeks, 12 months, and 365 days in 1 year.

Calendar examples

The Yoruba traditional calendar is called “KỌ́JỌ́DÁ” 'Kí ọjọ́ dá,' meaning: may the day be clearly foreseen.
KỌ́JỌ́DÁ 10053/ CALENDAR 2011-2012---------
ÒKÙDÚ 10053 / June 2011---------
Ọsẹ̀91st1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th
Ọjọ́-Ṣàngọ́/Jàkúta26101418222630
Ọjọ́-Ọ̀rúnmìlà/Ifá371115192327
Ọjọ́-Ògún481216202428
Ọjọ́-Ọbàtálá1591317212529

The traditional Yoruba calendar has a 4-day week, 7-week month and 13 months in a year. The 91 weeks in a year added up to 364 days.
The Yoruba year spans from 3 June of a Gregorian calendar year to 2 June of the following year.
According to the calendar developed by Remi-Niyi Alaran, the Gregorian year AD is the year of Yoruba records of time. With the British colonial and European cultural invasions, came the need to reconcile with the Gregorian calendar: Yoruba people also measure time in seven days a week and 52 weeks a year.

Calendar terminologies

Oṣù in Yoruba calendarMonths in Gregorian calendar
ÒkúdùJune
Agẹmọ July
Ògún August
Ọwẹ́wẹ̀ or OweweSeptember
Ọ̀wàrà or Ọ̀wààrà October
BélúNovember
Ọ̀pẹ December
ṢẹrẹJanuary
Èrèlé February
Ẹrẹ́nàMarch
Igbe April
Ẹ̀bìbì May

Worship of the in specific months

(January)

(February)

  • Dedicated to Olokun, patron of sailors, and guardian of souls lost at sea.
February 21–25

(March)

March 12–28
  • Dedicated to Oduduwa "Iyaagbe," Òrìṣà of Earth and matron of the Ayé, father of the Yoruba people
March 15–19
  • Also dedicated to Oxossi.
March 21–24:

(April)

(May)

(June)

  • June 3: Onset of the Yoruba New Year. Orunmila = Òrìṣà of Divination and custodian of the Ifa. It includes a Mass gathering of the Yoruba in the city of Ife, regarded as the center of creation.
  • Sopona – Òrìṣà of Disease and smallpox, also known as Obaluaye. Ṣọ̀pọ̀na is also the word for smallpox disease.
  • Ọ̀sanyìn – Òrìṣà of Plants, magic, Medicine, and patron of the healing professions
  • Òkúdù 10–23: Annual rites of passage for women
  • Òkúdù 18–21: Yemoja = mother of the Òrìṣà, Òrìṣà of fertility, women, and water).

(July)

  • Agẹmo: first and second weeks in July
  • Oko – Harvests & worship of the Òrìṣà of Farming Oko
  • Dedicated to Eshu "Ẹlégba" – one who has power to seize. He is the great Communicator and Messenger of the will of Olódùmarè.
  • Dedicated to Shango "Jakuta" – the Òrìṣà of Energy, àrá, and Mànàmáná/Mọ̀nàmọ́ná

August

  • The annual Ọ̀ṣun-Òṣogbo festival occurs in August
  • Dedicated to Ọ̀ṣun – Òrìṣà of Fertility and custodian of the female essence who guides pregnancies to term.
  • Dedicated to Ogun – Òrìṣà of iron/metals, war crafts, hunting, technology and engineering. The custodian of truth and executioner of justice, as such patron of the legal and counselling professions who must swear to uphold truth while biting on a piece of metal.

(September)

  • It is the month in which festivals such as New Yam Festivals, are being celebrated and it is a month of blessing. It celebrates the richness of Yoruba culture.
  • September 8th the day of mama oshun

(October)

  • Ọ̀wàrà refers to the intense rain showers that occur during the month
  • Dedicated to Oya and the spiritual realm.
  • Also dedicated to Ṣìgìdì – Òrìṣà of Òrún-Apadi, the realm of the unsettled spirits and the ghosts of the dead that have left Aye and are forsaken of Òrún-Rere.
  • Also the onset of the dry season

(December)