What was meant by the "week of peace?"

The Week of Peace is an annual festival celebrated by the villagers of Umuofia. The festival is celebrated in honor of the earth goddess, Ani, prior to the planting of new crops. In pagan societies, it was quite common for such festivals to take place. It was believed that the gods must be appeased in order to ensure a successful harvest. Otherwise, it was feared that the crops would fail and that the whole community would be plunged into starvation.
The Week of Peace is so called because during this period the villagers refrain from doing any work. Instead, people visit their neighbors, where they drink palm wine. The week is also peaceful in that it is considered taboo to say a harsh word to a neighbor during this time; there must be no physical violence of any kind, either. Anyone who breaks this taboo is required to make an appropriate sacrifice at the shrine of Ani.