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Why we did it

May every way of our lives be light. Most dominant world cultures have a culturally relevant agricultural calendar, which served these communities before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar. Some calendars were written down, while others were passed down from one generation to another through word of mouth, particularly in sub-Saharan African communities. Such written calendars include the Hebrew, Mayan, Chinese, and Hindu calendars. So, the idea of an African calendar is nothing new. What is new here is that we decided to put the African Igbo calendar on paper, something tangible, and present it to the world as food for thought. Often, opulent world communities have a common core; they are culturally original. They flaunt, promote, and export their cultures outside their borders both as a measure of goodwill and as a protective mechanism against cultural extermination. Culture is the backbone of any community. Therefore, it is critical to promote one's culture as part of the cauldron of human experiences. We are confident that a person may have no interest in traveling to England if British culture were identical to the culture of his/her homeland; there would be nothing exciting to experience. During agitation for independence in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 1950s and 1960s, part of the strategy for engaging colonial rule was the promotion of African cultural and spiritual identity as a prerequisite for independence and the backdrop for a new African renaissance. The idea of reestablishing African cultural prowess after years of colonization stresses the imperative adaptation of a traditional calendar as a system for organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. However, this effort soon lost momentum due to religious and political conflict, which pitted the Muslims against Christians, both religions not indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa. Soon after came the proliferation of Christianity and Islam, thereby derailing any hope of cultural rectitude. The idea behind the African Calendar is to uplift all people of African ancestry by teaching our children the importance and imperative of African-centered education, used as a tool for reversing the negative perception that people of African ancestry are devoid of original thinking. It is an educational tool that showcases Africa's contribution to world civilizations. Our goal is the imperative adaptation of this African Calendar as a unifying medium that celebrates our culture and what we have in common, and not what separates us. The Chinese celebrate the “Chinese New Year” based on their calendaring system, which unifies all People of Chinese ancestry. Jews celebrate the “Jewish New Year” based on their calendaring system, which unites all People of Jewish ancestry worldwide. Hindus do the same in India and elsewhere. Africa should do the same. Biologically, most Africans share the same DNA, have similar spiritual cultures, and the same history of persecution, exploitation, colonization, and slavery. Africans also have common instruments of social control and discipline, and culturally relevant Lunar calendars. With the global incursion into the African mind and self-glaring, the time is now. African Igbo Calendar celebrates our uniqueness and unity. It uplifts all Africans under a common cultural focus using the African Calendar as a unifying medium. Let's celebrate the African New Year Harvest Festival globally. African calendar is an educational tool for those interested in African history and culture, both at home and in school, and it’s a call for the unity of people of African ancestry.

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