Ghanaian festivals

Festivals in Ghana are celebrated for many reasons pertaining to a particular tribe or culture. Festivals in Ghana usually have backgrounds relating to an occurrence in the history of their culture. Examples. of such occurrences have been hunger, migration, purification of either gods or stools, etc.

Reasons for Celebrating Festivals in Ghana

The importance of its celebration includes:

• Planning developmental project: The festival is one of the occasions used to meet and plan developmental projects in the area since most citizens are likely to attend.
• Purification of gods: The period is used to clean ancestral stools and perform important rites.
• Thanksgiving: It is used to thank the supreme God and the lesser gods for the guidance and protection
• National and political significance: Prominent people in the government are invited to explain government policies and programs.
• Dispute resolution: The occasion is used to settle family and individual disputes for peaceful co-existing.
• To promote tourism: Some of the festivals celebrated in Ghana attract a lot of foreigners (tourists) into the country. An example is Aboakyir festival. Tourism is the third foreign exchange earner to Ghana.
• To preserve and maintain cultural and traditional heritage

List of Cultural Festivals in Ghana

Below is a list of all traditional, religious commemorative festivals celebrated throughout the year in Ghana.^[1] These may not entirely consist of festivals of Ghanaian descent.

Commemorating Farming season

• Kakube festival^[2]
• Kobina

Commemorating Migration

• Akwantukese Festival
• Hogbetsotso festival

Religious

• Akwasidae Festival
• Aboakyer festival
• Easter
• Christmas
• Eid al-Fitr

Others

• Asafotufiami
• Apoor
• Akwambo festival
• Asogli Yam Festival
• Bakatue festival
• Chale Wote
• Damba
• Feok
• Fetu
• Odwira
• Homowo

• Kundum Festival

References