How is Aboakyer celebrated in Ghana?
How is Aboakyer celebrated in Ghana?
The festival is celebrated on the first Saturday in May. On the first day of the festival, the two Asafo companies (warrior groups) in Winneba take part in a hunting expedition. The bushbuck is sacrificed and this signifies the start of the Aboakyer festival.
What is the purpose of Aboakyer?
Aboakyer derives from an ancient rite where sacrifices are traditionally offered to the god Otu in order to remove evil and predict a good harvest.
What is another name for aboakyer festival?
But when they tried to bring him a leopard, they discovered that leopards were extremely difficult and dangerous to bring back alive to be sacrificed. Eventually a bush buck, which resembles a deer, replaced the leopard, which is why the annual ceremony is often referred to as the Deer-Hunting Festival.
Who is Pankye Otu?
The Aboakyer is one the most commonly held and important festivals celebrated in the Central Region of Ghana. The purpose of this Aboakyer Festival is to honour the tribal god of the people of Winneba called “Pankye Otu”. The god receives an annual sacrifice of a deer from the people.
How is akwambo celebrated?
However, most Akwambo festivals share certain common customs such as the ritual PATH CLEARING , a public gathering known as a DURBAR , and family or community reunions. There may also be music and dance performances, soccer games, and parades. In some areas, young people hold an all-night party.
When did the aboakyer festival begin?
Upon advice and pressure from the national tourism authorities, the Effutu Traditional Council in 1965 finally settled on the first Saturday of May every year as the fixed date for the celebration of one of Ghana’s most popular traditional festivals, Aboakyer.
Who started the aboakyer festival?
The Aboakyer Festival has been celebrated by the Effutu people, who were among the earliest settlers of Ghana, for several hundred years. It originated when the Effutu left Western Sudan and migrated to what is now the town of Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana.
Who celebrates Kundum festival?
of Ghana
The Kundum festival is celebrated by the Ahanta or Nzema people of the Western region of Ghana. It is celebrated to thank God for the abundance of food at the time of the harvest period of the area.