Harvesting Festival

The harvest festival usually takes place in southern Somalia in July. The method of farming is still in a primitive stage and it is hard labor. Therefore, people of the village get together and work on one farm at the time. That operation is known as Goob.

During Goob strong men pick up sorghum and Maize seeds and dumped them into big wells which they have dug into the ground called Bukaar. After that, they cover the holes for cement so that they can protect from rain, animals and thieves. While the men are doing heavy work, boys and girls wrap up the stalks and put them on the open field to sell. Meanwhile women prepare the food for the festival.

When the works has been complete, all the people of the village get together again and start celebrating. They start morning about 9am and finish about 5pm. Strong men will wrestle, race and ride horses. Finally there are prizes to pay each and every individual winner. Those prizes could be Somali Shiling or could be Sack of sorghum or maize. That is how we celebrate the harvest in southern Somalia. Since I have left in Somalia I missed the celebration of harvesting festival and working together for Goob.