|
ADAE KESE FESTIVALAdae Kese Festival also known as the Akwasidae is a very highly regarded and very important festival for the people of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. This is when the rich cultural heritage of the Ashanti’s are brought out for all to see. The festival is attended by numerous numbers of
people from all walks of life that come to celebrate with the people of the
region. ORIGIN: The Adae Kese is a festival celebrated to mark specific milestones in the history of the Ashanti Kingdom. Its first celebration was during the attainment of statehood by the Ashanti kingdom after they fought and defeated the Denkyiras in the battle of Feyiase also known as the Ashanti independence war. The Adae kese celebration consists
of magnified forms of Sunday Adae festivals thus the name Akwasidae which is celebrated every six weeks in accordance with
the Akan calendar. The rich cultural heritage of the Ashanti people comes to bear during the ADAE KESE festival. The festival serves as a period of stock taking of events that have happened in the period under review. The celebration is divided in two folds. There is the strictly private solemn observance which takes place in the chief’s palace by specific members of the royal family. There are different kinds of rituals performed to cleanse the land from any evil. There is also cleansing of the King’s spirit and
presentation of the ceremonial meal and drinks to the spirits of their
ancestors. They seek
their guidance and protection for the people as they go about their duties.
They pray for the kingdom to prosper and be great and mightier than before. The Adae Kese Festival
highlights the tremendous amount of faith the Ashanti people have in their
heritage and tradition. They believe being united is what would make them
strong and these festivities highlights these great values of such a great
people. The paramount chief of the Ashanti Kingdom, the Asantehene parade
with his sub chiefs in his royal
palanquin decorated in the most expensive gold ornaments you can find anywhere
on earth, amidst drumming and dancing
and firing of musketry to ward off evil spirits. The main festivities are on the Adae Sunday, where there is a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of the region, there is a whole lot of drumming and partying, the Asantehene, receives dignitaries from all over the nation, he sits down with his sub chiefs to discuss issues and settle disputes. The moral of the
celebration is to invoke the bravery of their ancestors into the people and
make them more strong and prosperous whiles showcasing their rich cultural
history and heritage for the rest of the world to come and see. The independence of the Ashanti kingdom is a very important part of their history and the AKWASIDAE festival is celebrated to mark this milestone. It gives the king a chance to share his thoughts with the people, advise them, cleanse the land and bring the people together under one umbrella. You should not miss the grand Sunday celebration, which is the peak of it all. The riches of Ghanaian history, comes to bare at the ADAE KESE. Ghana Festivals Festival Calender Festivals In Ghana Reviews |
![]() |
|
Subscribe to Ghana Buzz
Please subscribe to my monthly newsletter, The Ghana Buzz to receive tips,
new discoveries and exciting information about Ghana.
|
||
Copyright © 2008 -2012 Travel-to-Discover-Ghana.com - All Rights Reserved
Template Design The Only Preparation for Tomorrow is the Right Use of Today. Website Design |