5 Best Festivals In Ghana and their brief history

A festival is a special occasion celebrated to honor a deity or ancestors for what they have done for their people. It is also a day of feasting and celebration to honor gods and ancestors.

In Ghana, a festival is held in the highest esteem because it is a day to honor the gods and the ancestors as well as a day of merry-making and homecoming.

There are varied traditional festivals in Ghana all year round from January to December. Here are the 5 best festivals in Ghana, check the one which is suitable for you to celebrate with the people.

1. Oguaa Fetu Afahye

Oguaa Fetu Afahye

The festival is celebrated by the chiefs and people of Oguaa or the Cape Coast traditional area in the Central region of Ghana. Fetu Afahye is celebrated on the first Saturday of September and it's a weeklong festival that typically starts from Monday to Sunday.

The festival is characterized by drumming and dancing, a cultural display, a procession of chiefs, and other cultural shows through the principal street of Cape Coast, which is held on Saturday as well as a grand durbar of chiefs and dignitaries at Queen Victoria Park. There is also a canoe regatta race between some of the Asafo (traditional army) at the Fosu lagoon.

A colorful and vibrant street carnival called " Orange Friday" is also held from Abura to Queen Victoria Park in which the participants mostly wear orange clothes or anything orange.

Brief History

According to oral tradition, a strange plague once struck the Oguaa land. It killed several people, and the plague was very devastating that the people consulted an oracle or their gods.

During the consultation, the gods told them to do away with dirt or they should clean their environment because the dirt in their environment has caused strange diseases. After doing exactly as prescribed by the oracle, the strange plague stopped.

The word Fetu is a contraction of ‘efin tu’ in the local Fanti dialect which means "cleaning the dirt." Therefore, the Oguaa Fetu Afahye festival is a commemoration of the plague that killed a lot of Fanti during that time and it is celebrated to show gratitude to the 77 gods of the Oguaa Traditional Area.

2. Edina ( Elmina) Bakatue

Edina Bakatue

Edina Bakatue Festival is celebrated by the chiefs and people of Elmina or Edina in the Central Region of Ghana. The word "Bakatue" translated means “the opening of the lagoon” or the “Draining of the Lagoon”.

The festival is celebrated on the first Tuesday in the month of July every year. Bakatue is celebrated to mark the beginning of the fishing season, during the festival, the people pray to the gods and ask for a bumper harvest in the coming year. 

A net will be cast three times to signify the bumper fishing harvest. There is also a colorful canoe display amid singing and dancing on the Benya Lagoon as well as a parade of tumultuous drumming and dancing and a procession of chiefs and people through the main commercial street of Elmina.

Brief History

According to oral legend, Kwa Amankwa the founder of Amankwakrom migrated from the Walata Empire and settled at Techiman for some time, he then moved to Eguafo which is close to Elmina, and thence to Elmina. He and his people were thirsty, so he decided to search for drinking water, fortunately, he discovered a streamlet, which made Kwa Amankwa exclaim: “Be-Enya" which literally means "I have found or got it ”. 

To honor the discovery, a hut was erected where the emigrants refreshed themselves from the stream. Kwa Amankwa bowed and worshipped and during his silent prayer, there suddenly appeared before him the river god animate of the Lagoon called Benya.

The diety made company and assisted Kwa Amankwa for eight days, after which a covenant was established between Amankwa and his people (Elmina/Edina). So, therefore, the festival is celebrated to commemorate that incident.  

3. Winneba Aboakyir Festival ( Deer/Bushbuck Hunting Festival)

Aboakyir Festival

Aboakyir means deer/bushbuck hunting festival. The festival is celebrated on the 1st Saturday in May by the Effutu’s of Winneba Traditional Area in the Central Region of Ghana.

On the first day of the festival, the two Asafo companies (warrior groups) in Winneba namely Dentsi and Tuafo take part in a hunting expedition to see who catches the animal first and returns it to the chief's palace. 

The deer/bushbuck is sacrificed to signify the start of the Aboakyer festival. The festival is celebrated to thank the gods for a productive harvest and ask for spiritual guidance from the gods for the coming year.

Brief History

Winneba Aboakyer is celebrated to commemorate animal sacrifice to the god Otu for their safe migration from the ancient Western Sudan Empire of Timbuktu to their present home, Winneba, and also to remove evil and predict a good harvest.

In the olden days, their priest instructed them on behalf of the god Otu, to offer a young member of the Royal Family every year as a sacrifice. This saw a depleting toll on the royal family.

The people pleaded to the god, Otu for an animal sacrifice rather than a human sacrifice, the god substituted it with a wild cat as a sacrificial offering instead of a human, provided it was caught alive and beheaded before the god.  

However, sacrificing a leopard or a lion resulted in serious casualties. They appealed again to Otu, this time, the god accepted the offering of a deer/bushbuck.

4. Homowo Festival

A chief Sprinkling Kpokpoi During Homowo

Homowo is a harvest festival celebrated by the Ga and Adangme people of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region. Homowo (Homo – hunger, wo – hoot) means “to hoot (or jeer) at hunger” in the Ga language.

The festival lasts for three months and begins with the planting of maize in the month of May during the rainy season to August. The Clans perform the “Shibaa” rite thus the cleaning and clearing of the sacred farm of the Dantu Deity for the planting of millet and maize.

During the festival, a food called Kpokpoi and palm nut soup is sprinkled on the ground intended for the gods and other nature spirits, and also to thank them for a bumper harvest. This is normally done by traditional leaders and family heads. The celebration includes marching through the streets accompanied by drums, singing, and traditional dance. 

Brief History

The festival dates back to the 16th century when the Ga people suffered many hardships, including a severe famine. This famine happened during their migration from Egypt via Nigeria to Ghana but it was mostly attributed to a lack of rain.

As a norm, the people consulted their chief god and they were instructed to plant maize at a certain place. When the rains returned to normal and they had enough food to eat, so they instituted the Homowo festival to honor the gods.

5. Odwira Festival

Chief pouring libation during Odwira

The Odwira festival is celebrated by the chiefs and people of the Fanteakwa District in the Eastern region of Ghana. that is the Akropong-Akuapim, Aburi, Larteh, and Mamfi. It is celebrated annually in the month of September and October. Odwira is an Akan word that means "purification or bathing."

The festival is celebrated during the harvest season when there is abundant food, especially yam; during which time the people give thanks to their ancestors as well as “feeding the ancestors with the new yam.

During the Festival, bowls of mashed yam mixed with palm oil and eggs which have been specially prepared by the Okuapemhene and other stool occupants are carried in procession from the Ahemfi (palace) to feed the ancestors at Nsorem.

Brief History

The Festival was initiated by the 19th Okuapimhene of Akropong, Nana Addo Dankwa 1 who ruled from 1811 to 1835. First celebrated in October 1826, its significance is linked to the victory of the people of Okuapemman over the then-powerful Ashanti army during the historic battle of Katamansu near Dodowa in 1826.

Odwira is also a time of spiritual cleansing, when the people of Okuapemman, and all who celebrate, present themselves anew and pray for protection as well as to cleanse all the town and its people.