The best way to experience a real and great taste of the rich Ghanaian culture is through the witnessing of these top and best festivals in Ghana while in the jurisdictions.
Festivals are special events celebrated annually by a group of people to commemorate an incident from the past. They are very significant in diverse ways depending on the motive behind the purpose and reason for the celebration.
Celebration of festivals in Ghana, are in accordance with the various religion such as Christian, Islam and the traditional religion. Global festivals such as Christmas, Easter, Idr- Fitr, Idr- Adha etc are all observe with holidays given during the celebrations.
Purpose for celebration of festivals
- They are celebrated to mark the beginning of a new year. Through the celebration of festivals, they use it as a medium through which a new farming season is commenced. Agricultural activities with some ethnic groups can only begin once the custodians are done with the celebrations.
- Unification purposes
The best and ideal way of bringing together and uniting all the people including outside and within, is through the celebration of festivals. Those from the diaspora also do home coming during the season of festivities to join the family for the celebration.
- Developmental project planning is done through festivals.
In Ghana, during commencement of festivals, this is the moment where developmental projects are been initiated. It is also the grounds where political leaders also share their plans and policies of national interest with the people.
- Cultural preservation.
In order to maintain and pass on the cultural heritage from generation to generation, festivals are the medium through which they exhibit the culture to the people and the younger generations.
Types of festival in Ghana
In Ghana, there are lots of festivals celebrated annually depending on the celebrants and their past experience for the celebration.
Festivals in Ghana can be categorized into three namely Arts Festivals, Cultural or traditional festivals and religious festivals which I will be compiling the list of the various festivals and the associate ethnic groups with the month of celebration.
Arts festivals
Wildaland Festival
The wildaland festival is a newly inaugurated musical event which has been wowed by all Ghanaians and those in the diaspora for the exclusive entertainment experience.
The Wildaland festival was recently celebrated in the eve of Christmas in December which saw the lining up of all the top musicians and stars you can think of. What makes the festival stands out from all other events is the venue for the event.
The festival occurred in the Shai Hills Resource Reserve in the Greater Region of Ghana. Breaking the norm of the routine venues for entertainment events, the organizers of the event decided to take the experience to a different level where people can have fun and enjoy great performances from their favorite musicians while they hike, camp and enjoy the nature of wildlife.
The event which was a two day event saw activities such as breakfast parties with the top celebrities with musicals from the top DJ’s, hiking and camping in the wildlife. The event is also aimed at protecting and conserving our wildlife.
Afrochella Festival
Another musical festival widely anticipated beyond Ghana and the other parts is the Afrochella festival. The festival is also celebrated in December to appreciate the rich African cultures through music, art, fashion and the various delicacies.
Afrochella is an event to experience and enjoy great performances from your top musicians and the rising talents.
Chalewote Festival
One of the best art festivals that bring together various artists across and within Ghana, through music, dance, paintings and performances from the street of Accra is the Chalewote festival.
Since the launch of the Chalewote festival in 2010, there has been huge and massive patronage in the festival seeing lots of people traveling to Ghana to witness and partake in the event.
The event is celebrated in the month of August in the streets of Accra especially Jamestown and its environs. In order to appreciate the creative arts, various activities spotted during the festival include street paintings, graffiti art works, photography, live street performances, the other side of sports, boxing, cultural display, film and movie screening and many others.
The exhibition of the food fair and fashion where individuals with special skills show their creativity is one that you probably needs to experience.
Masquerade Festival
The masquerade festival is also known as the fancy dress or the Ankos festival in Ghana. The festival is held on the eve of Christmas and New Year among the people along the coast especially Takoradi, Winneba and now with Tema also joining the train.
The colorful festival event is a celebration among groups who dress in a fancy way with masquerades covering the face marching through the streets with some dance moves accompanied by brass band music. The dance moves is one of a kind as it involves some kind of foot works.
The Ankos or fancy dress festival as popularly known as the masquerade festival is told to have emerged from the colonial era when the Dutch were putting on masquerades and dressing in a fancy way to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
Traditional festivals:
Homowo Festival
Another popular traditional festival of harvest celebrated in Ghana that has seen lots of people moving from the diaspora like the UK, US , just to mention few is the Homowo festival.
The festival is celebrated by the Ga people in the month of August. It is celebrated to commemorate a famine that occurred in their history and it is marked to hoot at hunger.
Reccommended reading… History of the Homowo Festival in Accra
Homowo means to hoot at hunger and the side of attraction of the festival that draws most people’s attention is the biggest street carnivals. This is the part where you can enjoy some Ghanaian music, dishes, and all form of arts and performances.
Kundum Festival
The saying goes the best always comes from the West and one the Ghanaian festivals you must experience in the month of September is the Kundum Festival by the Nzema or the Ahanta people.
From oral tradition, the festival is believed to have originated from a hunter who was on odyssey and saw a dwarf dancing to a strange music which he later brought the dance home and taught his people how to do it. Others also explain the Kundum festival as a festival marked to thank God and the ancestors for the abundance of food after harvest period and also seek for protection and purification.
One can experience lots of beautiful cultural display from the paramount chief and his sub chiefs and also some great performances from various artists.
Fao Festival
In the northern part of Ghana specifically the Upper East among the people of Navirongo, is this traditional festival of Fao.
The Fao festival is celebrated each January to commemorate the end of their harvest, show appreciation and gratitude to the gods for the rainfall they were blessed with in their farming activities.
The festival is characterized by stunning cultural exhibition from the ground durbar of chiefs. The traditional songs, drumming and dancing is the fascinating side of the festival to experience in the north.
Dzawuwu Festival
From Dabala among the people of Agave is another interesting traditional festival of Dzawuwu. The festival is observed annually in remembrance of their bravery heroes who won battles before their final destination to their present home.
On the eve of the festival, rituals and rites are performed such as sprinkling of foods and libations for the gods and the ancestors. The festival is climaxed by gathering of chiefs at a durbar grounds stunning in scintillation with their rich and expensive clothes. The various dance moves and the messages in the songs they sing will get you endowed to the culture.
Ngmayem Festival
The Damgbe tribe of the Greater Region especially the Shai and the Manya Krobo is a traditional festival you must witness. The festival is the Ngmayem which is celebrated in the month of October.
The celebration is commenced by the Chiefs and traditional authorities performing some rituals and rites at the Royal Cemetry to honour the ancestors. They chant songs, dance while some of the women wave their clothes to pilgrim the Krobo Mountains.
The grand durbar of chiefs happens on the Saturday where they display cultures, share the harvested millet and officially to announce the eating of the crop.
Ngmayem means ‘’eating the new millet’’, hence the celebration of the festival to observe the eating of newly harvested millet which is a staple food among them.
Bugum Chungu Festival
The Bugum Chugu festival is a fire fire festival celebrated by the Mamprusi in the northern part of Ghana. The festival is anticipated by both Muslims and non-Muslims with each having a motive or history behind.
The traditionalist celebrates the festival to mark a night search that was conducted when a prince of the kingdom got missing and the entire people would have to go to look for him. The Muslims also mark this day of the celebration as a day to remember their Prophet Nuhu (Noah) after the flood. But generally, the Bugum festival is all acknowledged as a celebration to mark a new year.
The festival which is observed at night is characterized by collecting of dry grasses and lighting them as torchlights. The chief is the first to lit his torchlight after performing all the rites and rituals before the people could follow. In the course the rituals, he prays to show his appreciation to the gods and also seek protection and success to in their endeavors.
The crowd gather at the chief’s palace all dressed like warriors and set off to the ending demarcation where there is a tree believed to be an evil tree. They throw all their torchlights to the evil tree and return back home making merry and rejoicing for victory.
Aboakyir (Deer Hunting) Festival
Aboakyir means animal hunting and it’s a festival celebrated in the first week of May by the Effutu people of Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana.
The festival is one of the biggest and popular festivals in the world known for its interesting and intriguing activities of hunting for a live deer.
The various youth groups are categorized into two where they depart to search for the live deer. The chief and other special dignitaries gather at the durbar grounds while they wait for the group that returns first with the live deer for a prize.
The deer is sacrificed to the gods for protection and also aid in bumper harvest in all their fishing and farming activities. It is also celebrated to mark a new year.
The history and how the celebration of Aboakyir festival came up can be found here:
Addae Kese
The Addae Kese is a festival observed by the people of the Ashanti kingdom. It is celebrated every six weeks according to the Akan calendar in remembrance of their win over the Denkyira whom they were serving.
The festival which comes with display of rich cultural heritage is done in two folds comprising of rites and ritual performing. Some of the rituals and rites are performed publicly whereas the others at night. Some of the rites spotted include cleansing of the stools, pouring of libation and serving the gods with a ceremonial meal.
In the celebration, they seek guidance, protection and also pray for the strengthening of the Ashanti kingdom.
While the chiefs gather at the Manhyia Palace for the Addae festival, we can see display of beautiful kente clothes and other traditional paraphernalia accompanied by playing of drums and dancing to songs.
Ohum festival
In the month of September in Ghana, you should look out for one of the most popular and famous festival by the Akuapem or Akyem in the Eastern Region.
It is an annual festival which is marked in remembrance of their struggles before getting to their present home and also keeping the kingdom.
Odwira Festival
The people of Eastern Region of Ghana is once again remembered with Odwira festival in the same month of September for their victorious battle between the Ashanti’s in the year 1826 at Katamanso.
Odwira is also celebrated for spiritual cleansing and protection from the Ancestors. The festival
Is celebrated on the season when there is so much on the abundance of food especially yam.
Hogbetsotso Festival
Hogbetsotso festival is another biggest festival from the Anlos in the Volta Region of Ghana. Hogbetsotso is an Ewe language which means journey of evacuation. It marks the journey from their origin to their current home or destination. While embarking on the journey, they had suffered a lot of tyranny from their leader King Agorkoli who ruled them with them with rigor.
They were able to flee away from the king and settled in their present home in Ghana.
The celebration is observed every first Sunday in November and in this period lots of cultural displays and exhibition of event are all over the place. It is the home to the popular Afadjato mountain, hence nature lovers also extending the pleasure to the mountains.
Akwambo Festival
In the Central Region is the people of Agona and Gomoa who celebrate the Akwambo festival.
The weekly duration festival is commemorated in honour of their founding fathers who founded their present land.
During the celebration in August, paths leading to the rivers, streams, farms and roads leading to the towns are cleared through communal labor to remember the first settlers.
Akwambo means path clearing, so after clearing all the bushy roads and carrying out communal activities, the festivities is climaxed with a grand durbar. Families reunion, games, and all form of merry making can be observed at the Akwambo festival.
Ahobaa Festival
Ahobaa is another traditional festival from the people of Abeadzi in the Central Region of Ghana.
The drumming, singing and the cultural displays are in remembrance of Egya Ahor. Egya Ahor is believed to have sacrificed his life while the community was suffering from an epidemic. The epidemic had killed lots of the people while migrating to their present home. After an oracle consultation, a human sacrifice has to be made for their freedom. Egya Ahor offered himself to be used as the sacrifice, hence freeing the people from the plague.
The week which is the duration for the celebration is filled with lots of activities from the traditional council and other performances that visitors can experience.
Bakatue Festival
The people of Elmina in the Central Region, celebrates the Bakatue festival annually in the first week of July.
Bakatue is a fante language which means ‘’Lagoon drain’’ or draining of the lagoon. The festival is marked to commence fishing activities in Elmina. The festival historically is reported to have been in existence as far back as 1847 during the colonial era.
The celebration which can never be done without the display of cultures is performed to thank God and the Ancestors for protection and submission of supplications.
The activities done on the eve of the festival includes the traditional authorities led by the chief priest gathering at the lagoon near the sea to cast a net and declare the commencement of fishing activities.
There is so much fun, merry making and educative to expats as it is also the venue where the St. Georges Castle (Elmina Castle) is located.
Damba Festival
The celebration of the festival is among the people of the Savannah or the Northern Region of Ghana to commemorate chieftancy glorification and also the birth and naming ceremony of the Holy Prophet Mohammed.
In the eve of Damba, all the indigenes far away travel for home coming. Prayers and fasting is said whiles horse riding skills, shooting of muskets and display of warrior dance are some of the activities one can look out for.
The chief stunningly dressed in smoke and seated on the skin of an animal welcomes dignitaries, homages and also gives out a speech on community development.
Fetu Afaye
Fetu Afahye is another traditional festival in the Central Region marked in the first week of September at Cape Coast.
The fishing community had also suffered a plague in the 17th century and after consulting the gods for cleansing and redeeming, they marked a day for celebration of cleanliness.
Fetu is a fante language ‘’Fin tu’’ meaning dirth or filth clearing.
Fetu Afahye is climaxed on the Sunday where there is a grand durbar and cultural exhibitions. There are more activities including sports, entertainment and other side attractions to grace the events.
Dipo festival
One of the famous festivals in Ghana and beyond is the Dipo festival from the Krobo people.
It is a puberty rites celebration which is performed on the teenage girls to initiate them into adulthood. The festival takes place in the month of April. The motive behind the rites is to make them good wives in their adulthood and also prevent teenage pregnancy.
The qualified girls are prepared before the priest who dressed them with a nicely haircut and take them through the processes of dipo. In the process, various test are done to ensure they are qualified for the rites. After a successful rite, they are released beautifully dressed in kente clothes with some beads while they dance the klama and are been carried on the shoulders of their families.
Twin festival
Twins in Ghanaian culture are believed to be a blessing and families who have them treat with pride and prestige. In the Ga culture, there is a ceremony held for the twin born.
The festival is held to bring good luck to the community as they see them as an intermediary between the gods and the people.
During the celebration, twins of all age taking part in the festival gather at the palace of the chief priest dressed in white clothing for the rites. Prayers are said to win admiration from the spirits and also grant their wishes whiles they served them with drinks, yam food and concoctions made from leaves.
Asafotufiam Festival
In the month of August the people of Ada from the Ga Dagme tribe of Ghana also celebrates the Asafotufiam festival.
The festival is celebrated with firing of musketry in honor of their bravery ancestors and those who lost their lives while fighting in wars for the establishment of Ada. It is also observed to bring an end to wars among the people of Ada.
The festivity is characterized with pouring of libation, feet and hand washing, firing of musketry at Kpomkpompanya where the warriors departed and welcomed from wars. The Asafotufiam festival portrays rich tradition and cultures whiles they welcome their people who have been away from the community.
Papanantwie Festival
Another scaring but educative festival celebrated in Ghana is the Papanantwie by the people of Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.
A cow is slaughtered and placed in an arena where people would go to cut a portion of the meat and run to a demarcation while they receive some beatings. The celebration is an annual festival celebrated in the month of March to show their courageous and bravery attribute towards the establishment of the Ashanti Kingdom.
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