The Yoruba calendar (Kọ́jọ́dá) is a calendar used by the Yoruba people of southwestern and north central Nigeria and southern Benin. The calendar has a year beginning on the last moon of May or first moon of June of the Gregorian calendar. The new year coincides with the Ifá festival.
The traditional Yoruba week has four days. The four days that are dedicated to the Orisa go as follow:
To reconcile with the Gregorian calendar, Yoruba people also measure time in seven days a week and four weeks a month. The four-day calendar was dedicated to the Orisas and the seven-day calendar is for doing business.
Time (Ìgbà, àsìkò, àkókò) is measured in ìṣẹ́jú-àáyá (seconds), ìṣẹ́jú (minutes), wákàtì (hours), ọjọ́ (days), ọ̀sẹ̀ (weeks), oṣù (months) and ọdún (years).
There are 60 seconds (ọgọ́ta ìṣẹ́jú-àáyá) in 1 minute (ìṣẹ́jú kan); 60 minutes (ọgọ́ta ìṣẹ́jú) in 1 hour (wákàtì kan); 24 hours (wákàtì mẹ́rìnlélógún) in 1 day (ọjọ́ kan); 7 days (ọjọ́ méje) in 1 week (ọ̀sẹ̀ kan); 4 or 5 weeks (ọ̀sẹ̀ mẹ́rìn tàbí márùn-ún) in one month (oṣù kan); 52 weeks (ọ̀sẹ̀ méjìléláàádọ́ta), 12 months (oṣù méjìlá), and 365 days (ọjọ́ mẹ́rìndínláàádọ́rinlélọ́ọ̀ọ́dúnrún) in 1 year (ọdún kan).
Calendar examples
The Yoruba traditional calendar is called “KỌ́JỌ́DÁ” 'Kí ọjọ́ dá,' meaning: may the day be clearly foreseen.
KỌ́JỌ́DÁ 10053(2053CE)/ CALENDAR 2011-2012
ÒKÙDÚ 10053(2053CE) / June 2011
Ọsẹ̀
91st
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
Ọjọ́-Ṣàngọ́/Jàkúta
2
6
10
14
18
22
26
30
Ọjọ́-Ọ̀rúnmìlà/Ifá
3
7
11
15
19
23
27
Ọjọ́-Ògún
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
Ọjọ́-Ọbàtálá
1
5
9
13
17
21
25
29
The traditional Yoruba calendar (Kọ́jọ́dá) has a 4-day week, 7-week month and 13 months in a year. The 91 weeks in a year added up to 364 days.
The Yoruba year spans from 3 June of a Gregorian calendar year to 2 June of the following year.
According to the calendar developed by Remi-Niyi Alaran, the Gregorian year 2024 AD is the 10,066th year of Yoruba records of time.[1][unreliable source?] With the British colonial and European cultural invasions, came the need to reconcile with the Gregorian calendar: Yoruba people also measure time in seven days a week and 52 weeks a year.
Dedicated to Olóòkun = Òrìṣà of òkun, the deep seas or oceans, patron of sailors, and guardian of souls lost at sea.
Èrèlé/Feb 21-25
Ẹrẹ́nà/March
Annual rites of passage for men
Ẹrẹ́nà/March 12 – 28
Dedicated to Oduduwa "Iyaagbe," Òrìṣà of Earth and matron of the Ayé (the world), father of the Yoruba people
Ẹrẹ́nà/March 15 – 19
Also dedicated to Ọ̀ṣọ́ọ̀sì = Òrìṣà of Adventure and the hunt
Ẹrẹ́nà/March 21 – 24:
Igbe/April
Onset of rainy season
Èbìbí/May
Dedicated to Egúngún (Commemoration of the Ancestors, including community founders and illustrious dead).
Òkúdù/June
June 3: Onset of the Yoruba New Year (2024 is the 10,066th year of Yoruba culture). Ọrúnmilà / Ifá = Òrìṣà of Divination and custodian of the Ifá. It includes a Mass gathering of the Yoruba in the city of Ife, regarded as the center of creation.
Sopona - Òrìṣà of Disease and smallpox, also known as Obaluaye. Ṣọ̀pọ̀na is also the word for smallpox disease.
Ọ̀sanyìn - Òrìṣà of Plants, magic, Medicine, and patron of the healing professions
Òkúdù 18 - 21: Yemoja = mother of the Òrìṣà, Òrìṣà of fertility, women, and water).
Agẹmo/July
Agẹmo: first and second weeks in July
Oko (Agriculture) - Harvests & worship of the Òrìṣà of Farming Oko
Dedicated to Èṣù "Ẹlégba" - one who has power to seize. He is the great Communicator and messenger of the will of Olódùmarè.
Dedicated to Ṣàngó "Jakuta" - the Òrìṣà of Energy, àrá (Thunder), and Mànàmáná/Mọ̀nàmọ́ná (lightning)
Ògún/August
The annual Ọ̀ṣun-Òṣogbo festival occurs in August
Dedicated to Ọ̀ṣun - Òrìṣà of Fertility and custodian of the female essence who guides pregnancies to term.
Dedicated to Ogun - Òrìṣà of iron/metals (i.e. a smith), war crafts, hunting, technology and engineering. The custodian of truth and executioner of justice, as such patron of the legal and counselling professions who must swear to uphold truth while biting on a piece of metal. (last weekend of August)
Ọwẹ́wẹ̀ or Owewe/September
It is the month in which festivals such as New Yam Festivals, are being celebrated and it is a month of blessing. It celebrates how Yoruba is a rich culture.
September 8th the day of mama oshun
Ọ̀wàrà or Ọ̀wààrà/October
Ọ̀wàrà refers to the intense rain showers that occur during the month
Dedicated to Oya (Òrìṣà of the river Niger whose is the guardian of gateway between the physical realm (Aye) and the spiritual realm (Òrún).
Also dedicated to Ṣìgìdì - Òrìṣà of Òrún-Apadi, the realm of the unsettled spirits and the ghosts of the dead that have left Aye and are forsaken of Òrún-Rere (Heaven).
Also the onset of the dry season
Belu/November
Ọ̀pẹ/December
Dedicated to Ọbalúayé (Òrìṣà of disease & healing).
