When thousands of Rwandans and friends of Rwanda gathered in Atlanta, US, last month for the 6th edition of Rwanda Day, one special event featured on the programme–the Umuganura festival.

It was the first time Umuganura was being marked at a Rwanda Day, an annual event during which Rwandans in the Diaspora converge in one city to celebrate the country’s rebirth and steady rise.

Umuganura is a traditional feast of first harvest that was widely observed in ancient Rwanda.

It was meant to assess the harvest and encourage residents to work harder for more harvest as well as foster social interactions, according to Lauren Makuza, the head of culture at the Ministry of Sports and Culture.

But the feast also had a religious connotation as it was meant to thank God for the prosperity of the nation and repent before Him in case of poor yields.

There is no precise time when the practice started but available information suggests it might have started over 1,000 years ago.

Understanding Umuganura

92-year-old pastor Ezra Mpyisi, says that ancient Rwanda had Abatware (chiefs) who represented people, and who can be compared to current mayors or governors. The Abatware collected various commodities and offerings from citizens and took them to the King’s palace.

While at the palace, the head of Abatware applauded and presented the products to the King.

The King then took a portion of each of those commodities and gave them back to them. The act was called blessing the seeds for better harvests in the future and the prosperity of the nation. The King was seen as God’s representative on earth.

"As people could not see God, they presented the seeds to the King who they could see and believed that he could bless them for prosperity,” Mzee Mpyisi explains.

The celebration of Umuganura festival was spearheaded by Abiru (royal advisors) who were the custodians of the kingdom. The chief of Abiru, a respected figure within the leadership of the kingdom, oversaw the celebrations, according to sources.

"He (the chief of Abiru) was the most respected and influential person in the kingdom after the King and the Queen,” Makuza said.

He said apart from agricultural products, people brought the traditional long-horned Inyambo cows and presented them to the King so that he can know how they are thriving.

"From Umuganura, the King could know the state of the kingdom and devise appropriate strategies to make it more prosperous,” Makuza notes.

"Inyambo symbolised economic prosperity. They were the assets of the nation and can be compared to money today,” he says.

After, the King would then give new hoes to the chiefs which they took to the communities."The hoes symbolised labour. Umuganura was meant to boost labour for the Kingdom to register sustainable development,” he said.

Inyambo would then have a procession before the King and Queen and a group of dancers would enliven the ceremony. Those in attendance could then drink and chat to celebrate the national harvest.

According to Pastor Mpyisi, similar celebrations were held at local and family level with the head of each household presiding over.

Religious, social implication

Pastor Mpyisi says Umuganura mainly revolved around thanking God for enabling people to produce much yields and seeking blessings, through the king, for good future yield.

The introduction of Christianity by missionaries put an end to Umuganura, in what pastor Mpyisi calls colonial mischief in the Rwandan community.

"King Yuhi Musinga, the father of Mutara III Rudahigwa, was banished from Rwanda and exiled in Moba (AlbertVille) in the present day DR Congo where he died. He was accused of refusing to sign an order to hand Rwanda over to missionaries, abolish Umuganura and assimilate to religious practices from the West. Since then, Umuganura was not observed in Rwanda as people converted to christianity,” he says.

Umuganura now

Umuganura was reintroduced only in the post-Genocide era after the government recognised its importance in socio-economic development.

But it has been modified to suit the times. Among the new things being integrated in Umuganura, are technology, education, tourism, architecture and other services.

Mpyisi says the modification does not mean that Umuganura is altered, but it has rather been boosted by the growth of Rwanda’s socio-economic sector.

Umuganura has evolved to become a celebration of Rwanda’s achievements and its vision for a more cohesive, united, peaceful and prosperous future, he said.

"In the Kingdom era, the main activities for income generation were agriculture and livestock.

Now that we have more economic activities, we have to celebrate any great achievements we register, through Umuganura where we have to think of the most appropriate ways to attain sustainable development and ensure the welfare for all Rwandans,” Makuza says.

"We are maintaining Umuganura, not altering it,” he observes, noting that there is a consensus that culture grows and reconstructs but society needs to prevent any variables that might distort it.