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The Degema traditional festivals are built on natural events. Nature is the measuring yardstick for all traditional events that takes place within a year.

There is no definite calendar by which events (traditional) are fixed, measured or calculated during a year. Like most of us know that before the invention of clock , wristwatch and other modern time measuring devices, the early man made use of natural cause and effect to identify seasons and time. The Degema tradition being an ancient tradition that has lived on to this day uses nature as it time measuring instrument to identify seasons. There are two major days (New Year) that are used to calculate a calendar year in this tradition. One by the community’s town cleansing day (Ekein-Kpom) and Ogbokina’s “Amin Fany”.

After “Amin Fany” no traditional drums are permitted to be played in the community. The Osu festival is then carried out.

Two nights after the Osu festivals, some family and consecration events are carried out before “Ogugule-Ofengo” festival is held. Seven (7) days (either from Ogru or Ozogu market day, Pending on the calculation) another masquerade festival called “Igugule-Atonu” is held inside the “Afiny-Gina”. (Although women and foreigners are not allowed inside of Afiny-Gina, it is exceptional on the day of Igugule-Atonu, popularly known as Igugule-Afiny Gina). Eight (8) days from Igugule-Atonu festival, “Igugule-Amon” festival is held at the Town Square. After the Igugule-Amonu festival, some consecration events are carried out between that night and the next day in which ‘Igugule-Odisan” (Day time/Afternoon masquerade) festival begins. Igugule-Odisan does not have a specific duration. It can play until “Igugule-Asu” (night masquerade) festival puts an end to it but the traditional elders can decide to put an end to it before “Igugle-Asu” festival. After the Igugle-Odisan festival the Igugule-Asu (night masquerade) festival takes over. The moon is what is usually used to calculate and determine the season of Igugule-Asu. After the full moon has subsided in the east (between late January – February but can be altered by nature since the natural course is what is usually used to calculate. The moon can take a different course and change everything). The traditional elders and watchers start their calculations using the river’s water to monitor the first rising of the moon from the east and on that day, the signaling drum (oda) is beaten in the late evenings (between 7-8pm and it must be on the Ogru market day. That’s why the calculations must be made correctly from the resting of the sun in the east) and then the “Igugule – Asu” festival begins for four (4) days (from Ogru –to- Adaki market day).

The night of the fourth market day of Igugule-Asu , an event called “gimam-ikpe” is carried out and in the morning “Osom-Ogugule” moves about from one Ikpe venue to another and between the afternoon and the evening “Uso” movement takes place.

The next day which might be “Ofaram” market day pending on the calculations of the elders and nature, “Eyal-Ezor-Ekeze” (Ekeze festival) is carried out which lasts for four (4) days. During this period, it is forbidden to run, pluck any kind of leaf, and break wood around some certain locations. On the last day when all rites have been carried out gunshots are fired to signal the end of the festival (Amagbi ovire-tire). On that same day the day for Igugule-abi festival is fixed. After the ceremony of “Igugule-abi” which marks the end of “Igugule festival” (it is popularly called Igugule-gbem, meaning the end of Igugule Festival). Some calculations are made in order to end everything concerning Igugule entire “edimete-ebula.

After the Igugule festival another masquerade festival called “Iwu” festival takes over. Iwu displays on four (4) days interval (Ogru- to- Ogru or Ozogu-to-Ozogu market days pending on the calculations). Many types of Iwu are displayed e.g “Ilagba, Itobo, Imele and Otongo-pele”. Otongo-pele is the last Owu (masquerade) to display before the crowning of everything by the Official Iwu celebration which lasts for four days. After the Otongo-pele masquerade some calculations are made to determine the day for the final Iwu festival (Iwu-gbem) which lasts for four (4) days (Ogru – Adaki market day). On the first day of the Iwu festival, all the Iwu (Masquerade) ranging from the biggest to the smallest displays their dancing steps. On the second day the big masquerades (Otokulo, Igangili, Agri) do not display only the small ones do. On the third day little or no masquerade display only people dance around the town square. On the fourth day which is the final day, all the masquerades (Iwu) are displayed and it marks the end of Iwu festival for the year. (Note: the year is not the normal calendar year. It is the natural year calculated by natural events as stated earlier. Iwu-gbem normally takes place in the month of April pending on calculations).

After Iwu festival another festival called Idu festival take over between April and May. It is held between April and May for an interval of four days for each Idu festival. “Omo-uso” starts the festival and after four (4) days “Osuo-atala” and after another four (4) days “Amaki” crowns it all (Note: it is calculated from Ozogu – to – Ogru market days). On the day that Amaki displays, the New Year festival (Ekeny-Kpom) is calculated and decided upon. On the morning of Ekeny-Kpom (New year/town cleansing which is normally between June and July), Obubein family and others carry out some consecrations. During Ekein-kpom all women and children and foreigners are expected to be indoors until all consecrations are done with. The town messenger (Olu ekeny) checks/studies the river’s water 4 times before the event is carried out. After Ekeny-kpom (New year/town cleansing) festival some calculations based on the market days are done and then the festival of “Tengele-mogba-ekasa” is held. After that “Onu-oyan eda” festival is celebrated (around August pending on calculations). After eight (8) days, Iziba festival is celebrated and carried out by women (although the festival has not been held for a very long time now by the women). Iziba is the last festival. After Iziba festival pending on calculations). Iwu Ogbokina takes over the stage during “amin-engeni” (big water that can be mistaken for flood by foreigners). Owu tire-tutu is the first masquerade that begins the Iwu play. After that Amin-fany (new water) festival is held. During amin fany festival no one is expected to fish or go back home wet from the river, you’ll wait by the river bank until you get dried up. For this reason people are not advised to swim at the river or go fishing. After the amin fany festival, the circle continues again.