Festivals in Ghana are celebrated for many reasons pertaining to a particular tribe or culture, usually having backgrounds relating to an occurrence in the history of that culture. Examples of such occurrences have been hunger, migration, purification of either gods or stools, etc.
The importance of each festival's celebration includes:
Festival in Ghana | Ethnic group that celebrates |
---|---|
Bakatue [1] | Elmina (Fante) |
Homowo [2] | Ga |
Aboakyer [3] | Efutu (Winneba) |
Kundum [4] | Nzema [5] |
Foo (Fao) | Navrongo [ citation needed ] |
Kpini Chugu (Guinea fowl Festival) | Dagombas, Mamprusis, Nanumbas, Kokombas and Basaris [6] |
Ohum [7] | Akim, [8] Akuapem [9] |
Hogbetsotso [10] | Anlo [11] |
Ngmayem | Krobo [12] |
Volo (Me/Lomo) | Volos |
Yam [13] | Ho [14] |
Buɣum Chuɣu (Fire Festival) [15] [16] al) | Dagomba [17] Dagbon, Gonja, Mamprusi and Nanumba |
Beng | Gonja [18] |
Lukusi | Ve (Near Hohoe) |
Danyiba | Kpando [19] |
Fetu Afahye [20] | Oguaa [21] (Cape Coast) |
Adae Kese | Ashanti [22] Etc. |
Adae [23] | Asante, [21] Akim, [8] Akwamu [24] |
Asafotufiam [25] | Ada [26] |
Dzawuwu Festival [27] | Agave [28] |
Fiok [29] | Builsa |
Apafram [30] | Akwamu [31] |
Osudoku Festival [32] | Asutsuare [33] |
Afenorto Festival [30] | Mepe [34] |
Papa Festival [35] | Kumawu [36] |
Opemso Festival [ citation needed ] | Kokofu-Anyinam |
Ɔvazu Festival [ citation needed ] | Akposo |
Damba festival | Dagomba people, Gonja, Mamprusi |
Below is a list of all traditional, religious commemorative festivals celebrated throughout the year in Ghana. [37] These may not entirely consist of festivals of Ghanaian descent.
Oti Region)]]
Cape Coast is a city, fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District and Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea situated to its south. According to the 2010 census, Cape Coast had a settlement population of 169,894 people. The language of the people of Cape Coast is Fante.
Kwahu is an area and group of people that live in Ghana and are part of the Twi-speaking Akan group. The region has been dubbed Asaase Aban, or the Natural Fortress, given its position as the highest habitable elevation in the country. Kwahu lies in the Eastern Region of Ghana, on the west shore of Lake Volta. The Kwahus share the Eastern Region with the Akyem and Akuapem, as well as the Adangbe-Krobos. Among Kwahu lands, a significant migrant population works as traders, farm-hands, fisherfolk, and caretakers in the fertile waterfront 'melting pot' of Afram plains. These migrants are mostly from the Northern and Volta Regions, as well as, some indigenous Guans from the bordering Oti and Brong-Ahafo regions live in the Afram Plains area. Kwahus are traditionally known to be wealthy traders, owning a significant number of businesses and industries in Ghana.
Fort Prinzenstein is a fort located at Keta, Ghana, which was used in the slave trade. Many such forts were built in Africa, but Prinzenstein is one of the few that lie east of the Volta River. Keta served as an open port until the Tema Harbour commenced its operation to the west in 1962. The fort has been designated a World Heritage Site because of its historical importance and testimony to the Atlantic slave trade.
Central Tongu is one of the constituencies represented in the Parliament of Ghana. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Central Tongu is located in the North Tongu district of the Volta Region of Ghana.
In several Akan nations of Ghana, the Omanhene is the title of the supreme traditional ruler ('king') in a region or a larger town. The omanhene is the central figure and institution of the nation. Officially, he has no function in the current Ghanaian political setup, but, has enormous influence on the people that constitute it. Today 'Hene' can be found in titles of other rulers in Ghanaian nations. For example, the chief of the Dagomba in the north of Ghana is known as the 'Dagombahene'.
The Fetu Afahye is a festival celebrated by the chiefs and peoples of Cape Coast in the Central region of Ghana. The festival is celebrated on the first Saturday in the month of September every year. The Fetu Afahye is celebrated annually by the Oguaa people of Cape Coast because in the past there was an outbreak of disease among the people that killed many. The people prayed to the gods to help them to get rid of the disease. Thus the festival is celebrated to keep the town clean and to prevent another epidemic befalling the people.
The Hogbetsotso festival(pronounced Hogbechocho) is celebrated by the chiefs and people of Anlo in the Volta Region of Ghana. Some major Anlo towns include Anloga (capital), Keta, Kedzi, Vodza, Whuti, Srogboe, Tegbi, Dzita, Abor, Anlo Afiadenyigba, Anyako, Konu, Alakple, Atsito, Atiavi, Deʋegodo, Atorkor, Tsiame and many other villages. The festival is celebrated annually on the first Saturday in the month of November at Anloga, the customary and ritual capital of the Anlo state. The name of the festival is derived from the Ewe language and translates as the festival of exodus. or "coming from Hogbe (Notsie)". The celebration of the festival was instituted about four decades ago.
The Avenor Ewe are a sub-tribe of the Ewe people of Ghana. The origin of the name Avenor is not known. Avenor could be loosely translated as forest dwellers.
Godfried Kportufe Agama was a Ghanaian economist and a governor of the Bank of Ghana. He held the record to date for being the longest-serving governor of the bank. He was also a politician and Member of Parliament in the 1979 Ghanaian parliament representing the South Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region of Ghana.
Dawu is a town in the Okere District Eastern Region of Ghana. It shares border with Abiriw and Awukugua
Ada West District is one of the twenty-nine districts in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger Dangme East District in 1988, which was created from the former Dangme District Council, until the western part of the district was split off to create Ada West District on 28 June 2012; thus the remaining part has been renamed as Ada East District. The district assembly is located in the eastern part of Greater Accra Region and has Sege as its capital town.
Kobla Mensah Wisdom Woyome is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the South Tongu in the Volta Region on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress.
Western Togoland is a self-proclaimed state which is considered by the international community to be part of Ghana. It claims five of the Volta and Oti Regions. On 25 September 2020 separatists in Western Togoland declared independence from the Republic of Ghana. Western Togoland has been a member state of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) since 2017.
The Year of Return, Ghana 2019 is an initiative of the government of Ghana – along with the U.S.-based Adinkra Group – that is intended to encourage African diasporans to come to Africa to settle and invest in the continent. It was formally launched by President Nana Akufo-Addo in September 2018 in Washington, D.C. as a program for Africans in the diaspora to unite with Africans. The year 2019 is symbolic as it commemorates 400 years since the first enslaved Africans touched down in Hampton, in the English colony of Virginia in America. The program also recognizes the diaspora's achievements and sacrifices in the time since that event. Starting from when President Barack Obama made a visit to the Cape Coast in 2009, many famous, respected and admired African-Americans from the diaspora have visited Ghana to discover its culture. The Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture lined up a slate of activities in "celebration of the resilience of the African spirit." Many African Americans shared their stories regarding their experiences in Ghana during the Year of Return.
Dzawuwu Festival is an annual traditional and thanksgiving festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of Agave Traditional Area in Dabala in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is usually celebrated in the month of February.
The Ayimagonu Festival is an annual festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of Dofor Traditional Area in the North Tongu District. It is located at a few kilometers east of Juapong in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is usually celebrated in the month of November.
The Gbidukor Festival is an annual festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of Gbi in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is usually celebrated in the month of November. It is claimed the festival rotates between Hohoe and Peki.
Jintigi (Fire) Festival is an annual festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of Gonja Traditional Area in the Savannah Region, formally the Northern region of Ghana. Damongo which is the capital of Gonjaland serves as the epicenter of the festival. It is usually celebrated in the month of April.
The Western Togoland Rebellion is an ongoing separatist revolt led by the Ewe nationalist organization Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF) against the government of Ghana. The group seeks the independence of former British Togoland.
Awukugua is a town in the Okere District Assembly in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It shares border with Abiriw and Dawu.'
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