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Festivals
The Ghanaian festivals are a colourful and vibrant part of
the culture.
Each
year festivals and durbars are held in various parts of the
country, to celebrate the heritage of the people.
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| FESTIVAL |
PLACE |
PERIOD
|
| |
|
|
| Akwasidae |
Manhyia,
Kumasi |
Every
six weeks |
| Dodoleglime |
Ve
Traditional Area (Ve Traditional Area) |
November
|
| Dipo
(puberty rite) |
Odumase |
February
|
| Gmayem |
Manya
Krobos (Odumase) |
October
|
| Gologo |
Talensi,
Tong-Zuf |
March
|
| Aboakyer
|
Winneba |
1st
Sat. in May |
| Asafotufiam |
Ada |
July/August
|
| Damba |
Tamale,
Wa |
July/August
|
| Bakatue |
Elmina
|
1st
Tues. in July |
| Akwambo |
Agona
Nyakrom/Agona Swedru |
August |
| Epor |
Lolobi-KumasiVolta
Region |
- |
| Fetu
Afahye |
Cape
Coast |
1st
Sat in September |
| KLOYOSIKPLEM |
Yilo
Krobo (Somanya) |
November
|
| Kobine |
Lawra |
September
|
| Homowo
|
Accra |
August/September
|
| Kundum |
Axim,
Takoradi |
August/September
|
| Odwira |
Akropong |
September
|
| Apoo |
Wenchi/Techiman |
October
|
| Fofie
Yam Festival |
Nchiraa
near Wenchi |
October
|
| Hogbetsotso |
Anloga
1st Sat in |
November |
| Mmoaninko |
Ofinso
|
November
|
| Fiok |
Centime |
December |
| Fao |
Navrongo |
January
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AKWASIDAE
FESTIVAL in Kumasi
The Ghanaian
festivals are a colourful and vibrant part of the culture.
Each year festivals and durbars are held in various parts
of the country to celebrate the heritage of the people. FESTIVAL
PLACE PERIOD Akwasidae at Manhyia in Kumasi
Homowo Festival
This harvest
festival is celebrated by the Ga people from the Greater Accra Region
of Ghana. It begins with the sowing of millet by the traditional
priests in May. After this, thirty-day ban on drumming is imposed
on the land by the priests.
Homowo recounts the migration of the Gas and reveals their agricultural
success in their new settlement. According to Ga oral tradition,
a severe famine broke out among the people during their migration
to present day Accra. They were inspired by the famine to embark
on massive food production exercises which eventually yielded them
bumper harvest.
The festival is highlighted at varying times by different quarters
of the Ga tribe. The Ga-mashie group of the tribe will celebrate
theirs' a little earlier than the La group.
Their hunger ended and with great joy they "hooted at hunger"
this is the meaning of the word HOMOWO.
The celebration usually takes place in August, rarely in July or
September. It is believed that the whole of Accra celebrated the
Homowo Festival in 1888 as late as the 27th or 29th of September.'
Aboakyer Festival
This Festival is celebrated by the people of Simpa or Winneba in
the Central Region of Ghana.
The festival is a celebration to mark the migration of these people
from the ancient Western Sudan Empire where they were led by 2 brothers
and a god called Otu. Upon consulting their god, they were instructed
by their traditional priest or mediator between the people and the
god to sacrifice a young member of the Royal family every year to
their god.
This was not good news so they made an appeal to their god who asked
for an animal from the wild cat family to be caught alive and beheaded
before the god. Before the festival began they settled the god at
a place called Penkye hence the god became Penkyi Otu. When the
people went out to hunt down the wild cat they lost so many men
before capturing it alive. This caused the second appeal. Penkyi
Otu decided to accept a mature bush buck this looks like a deer.
The people of Simpa sang this story in their war chants and told
it during moonlit nights. It was kept and protected till it could
be written in English for all to read.
Today, the Aboakyir festival is celebrated in May each year and
is a major event in Ghana .
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