In Igbo society, the killing of cows carries different meanings depending on the context.
For family use, such as during weddings, funerals, or harvest celebrations, a cow is slaughtered to strengthen kinship and demonstrate hospitality.
The act is a reminder that kinship reveals itself in moments of need, as expressed in the proverb, “Nwanne dị na mba, ọbuna o zuo, o mara onye ga-ebu ya.” Literally, this means that even though there may be good friends in the diaspora or far from home, when the true moment of test arrives, such as when a corpse begins to decay, it will be revealed who must carry it. Friends and well-wishers may withdraw at that point, but true relatives cannot escape the responsibility.
