calendar-year-in-bunyoro-kitara

Periodicity/Calendar (Obusumi) in Bunyoro-Kitara

A study of the periodicity of Kitara’s markets must concept of the obusumi (calendar or time). It resembles European calendar, but is tied up with the motions of the moon and other heavenly bodies. For example, from the appearance of a new moon to the appearance of the next one constituted a month. This month is roughly thirty days.

This twelve-month obusumi year is divided into Isambya and the Irumbi. The Isambya lasts from Igesa(January) to Rwenkonzi (June). These may be described as summer months.

Irumbi lasts from Isenyamaro (July) to Nyamiganuro-Kyanda (December) and is equivalent to the autumn.

The Irumbi is further divided into two equal parts: kyanda (dry season) December to January, and Itumba (rainy season between September and November, during which rainfall is sufficient to enable weeds, crops, and grass to grow).

The Isambya is also divided into two equal parts: the Kasambura, is a dry season between June and August which is the harvesting period; and the Itoigo, rainy season which is between March to May, which is also a planting period.

Each of the twelve month of the year has its own name, determined by the cycle of production. Example,

1. January (Igesa – Buswagu), — Igesa comes from the work Kugesa meaning to harvest, this is the month for harvesting of millet, beans etc

2. February (Kayaga – Nyarakarwa), — Kayaga comes from Omuyaga meaning wind, this is a dry and windy month, hence Kayaga.

3. March (Ijubyamiyonga – Bwanswa), — ijubya means becoming wet, miyonga means dirt/mud hence weting farms/fields, In this month fields were prepared for planting simsim/sesame.

4. April (Machanda), — Machanda means Simsim/Sesame, this is the month when simsim/sesame is sown/planted.

5. May (Nyamujuna-Rwensisezere), — Nyamujuna come from Okujuna meaning help/liberate, this is the month when finally harvesting Sesame is done, naming it Nyamujuna is besically refering to having been liberated from the long months of no food.

6. June (Rwenkonzi), — Rwenkonzi means month of enkonzi, and enkonzi is weed that grows in plantantions often used for making brooms, This is a dry/warm month where these weeds grow in the gardens when harvesting is finished.

7. July (Isenyamaro) – Isenya comes from Kusenya, meaning to clear/remove, in this month men and women would prepare fields for millet.

8. August (Ikokoba-Mukonataike), — Ikokoba comes from kokoba meaning to burn/to flame, this was the months of burning grass in the millet fields.

9. September (Isiga), — Isiga comes from Kusiga, meaning to plant, this was a month for planting millet and other foods.

10. October (Ijuba – Kacungiramweru), — Ijuba come to kujuba(to wet), this month is rainy and wet, it was a month of weeding.

11. November (Rwensenene), — Rwenseenene means a month of enseenene(grasshoppers), in this month is when grasshoppers start emerging.

12. December (Nyamiganura – Katuruko), — Nyamiganura comes from okuganura meaning to share, this was a month of rejoicing, festivities and sharing harvests.