Dipri Festival: Abidji Community Marks Founding in Southern Ivory Coast
The Dipri festival holds great significance for the Abidji people of Yaobou, commemorating their community’s foundation and celebrating their cultural heritage. The festival’s name, derifestival’she local language, reflects its focus on water and purification.
The leadership of the Dipri ceremony is passed down through families, with Koffi N’guessan chosen to attend the N’guessan year celebration. Hyear’s of the generational transmission of power within his family, highlighting the importance of ancestral lineage in Abidji culture.
The Abidji people trace their origins to the Akan ethnic group from present-day Ghana. Fleeing conflict, they crossed the Comoé River, with one member sacrificing themselves to ensure the rest’s safety, thus marking their community’s founding event.
During the festival, participants wear white garments that symbolize purity and adorn their faces with kaolin, representing humility and peace. The Kpon ceremony, where representatives of initiated families display their mystical powers, is a central aspect of the festival.
Father Marius Hervé, a Christian Catholic priest, emphasizes the compatibility of Abidji cultural practices with the Christian faith. He advocates for the preservation of African identity alongside religious beliefs.
The Dipri festival, celebrated annually in early April, coincides with the fourth lunar month of the Abidji calendar, signifying the new year in their culture. It serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Abidji people, promoting unity, respect, and pride in their identity.
