List of festivals in Ghana

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.

Reasons for celebrating festivals

The importance of each festival's celebration includes:

  • Planning developmental project. The festival is used as an occasions 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. The festival 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 programmes.
  • Dispute resolution. The occasion is used to settle family and individual disputes for peaceful co-existence.
  • To promote tourism. Some festivals celebrated in Ghana attract many foreign tourists to the country. An example is the Aboakyir festival. Tourism is the third foreign-exchange earner for Ghana.
  • To preserve and maintain cultural and traditional heritage.

List of traditional festivals and their month of celebration
Festival in Ghana Tribe that celebrates
Bakatue[1]Elmina (Fante)
Homowo[2]Ga
Aboakyir[3]Efutu (Winneba)
Kundum[4]Nzema[5]
Foo (Fao)Navrongo
Kpini Chugu (Guinea fowl Festival)Dagombas, Mamprusis, Nanumbas, Kokombas and Basaris[6]
Ohum[7]Akim[8]
Hogbetsotso[9]Anlo[10]
NgmayemKrobo[11]
Volo (Me/Lomo)Volos
Yam[12]Ho[13]
Bugum Chugu (Fire Festiv)[14][15]al) Dagomba[16]Dagbon, Gonja, Mamprusi and Nanumb
Beng Gonja[17]
Lukusi Ve (Near Hohoe)
Danyiba Kpando[18]
Fetu Afahye[19] Oguaa[20] (Cape Coast)
Adae Kese Ashanti[21] Etc.
Adae[22] Asante,[23]Akim,[24] Akwamu[25]
Asafotufiam[26] Ada[27]
Dzawuwu Festival[28] Agave[29]
Fiok[30] Builsa
Apafram[31] Akwamu[32]
Osudoku Festival[33] Asutsuare[34]
Afenorto Festival[31] Mepe[35]
Papa Festival[36] Kumawu[37]
Opemso Festival Kokofu-Anyinam

Below is a list of all traditional, religious commemorative festivals celebrated throughout the year in Ghana.[38] These may not entirely consist of festivals of Ghanaian descent.

Commemorating farming season

Commemorating migration

Religious

Others

References
  1. "Bakatue Festival , 2019 - GWS Online GH". www.ghanawebsolutions.com. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  2. "Homowo Festival". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  3. "Aboakyer Festival". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  4. "Kundum Festival". www.travel-to-discover-ghana.com. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  5. "National Commission On Culture". www.ghanaculture.gov.gh. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  6. "The Northern Region of Ghana - ghanagrio.com - ghanagrio.com". www.ghanagrio.com. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  7. "OHUM STARTS". Modern Ghana. 2012-08-28. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  8. "Akyem People of Ghana". Africani Sankofa. 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  9. "Hogbetsotso Festival". www.travel-to-discover-ghana.com. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  10. "The Anlo-Ewe people of Ghana". This Is Africa Lifestyle. 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  11. "The Krobo People of Ghana to 1892: A Political and Social History". Ohio University Press • Swallow Press. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  12. "Asogli promises another exciting yam festival this year". www.myjoyonline.com. 2017-09-06. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  13. "Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana". www.ghanadistricts.com. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  14. "Ghana Festivals". ghanakey.com. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  15. Cof, Katja (2016-03-05). "Bugum Chugu Fire Festival in Northern Ghana". Safari Junkie. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  16. "Dagomba kingdom | historical kingdom, Africa". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  17. "A Brief History of Northern Ghana - Focus on Gonja". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  18. "Kpando Municipal Assembly – Official Website of Kpando Municipal Assembly". Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  19. "Oguaa Fetu Afahye Festival, Cape Coast". Afro Tourism. 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  20. "Oguaa Fetu Afahye Festival, Cape Coast". Afro Tourism. 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  21. "Asante | people". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  22. "Adae | Akan festival". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  23. "Oguaa Fetu Afahye Festival, Cape Coast". Afro Tourism. 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  24. "Akyem People of Ghana". Africani Sankofa. 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  25. "Ghana Ethnic Groups, Akwamu". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  26. "About". Ada Asafotufiami Festival. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  27. "ADA PEOPLE: THE TRADITIONALIST DANGME PEOPLE AND THEIR UNIQUE ASAFOTUFIAMI FESTIVAL". ADA PEOPLE. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  28. Editor (2016-02-24). "Festivals in Ghana". touringghana.com. Retrieved 2019-01-26.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  29. "Agave Afedome - GhanaPlaceNames". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  30. "FESTIVALS OF GHANA". www2.gsu.edu. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  31. Dzaho, Jerome. "Festivals". Ghana Tourism Authority. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  32. "Akwamu | historical state, Africa". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  33. "Osudoku Aadegbor Festival Launched". Modern Ghana. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  34. "Figure 1: Shai Osudoku District Map (where Asutuare Area Council lies)..." ResearchGate. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  35. "Mepe Community Site". mepe.objectis.net. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  36. "Papa Festival". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  37. "National Commission On Culture". www.ghanaculture.gov.gh. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  38. "Festivals". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  39. "Festivals in Ghana". Dear Ghana. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
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