HOMOWO FESTIVAL

Homowo Festival is celebrated by the GA people of the greater Accra region of Ghana. The moral of the festival is to commemorate the period in their history when there was a serious famine in the land. The festival is very glamorous and showcases a great deal of traditional values of the GA people.

ORIGIN: Legend has s that there was a period in the history of the GA Kingdom, when there was a severe famine. There was no rain and the people were in great starvation.

The people instead of sitting down and wallowing in self pity, rather embarked on a vicious cycle of food cultivation and as they were rewarded with a bountiful harvest. They therefore celebrate the HOMOWO, to hoot at hunger and rejoice in their harvest.

CELEBRATION:  A Month before the celebration, there is a ban on drumming and noise making in the Greater Accra region. The calendar for the celebration which is usually in August is made by the Dantu Priest. 

The festival starts when the Dantu priest celebrates his grand custom of feasting and making of concoctions for royal family to sprinkle on them to ward away evil spirits and protect them against diseases. 

One interesting aspect of the celebration is the twin’s day. On this day all twins in the town are dressed in white calico, and paraded around town. This is a show of pride and is very glamorous. 

There is a boat race between the Asafo groups (Traditional warriors); this is just to add to the excitement of the celebration. There is a special meal for the celebration.  This meal known as (kpokpoi) is made from maize and eating with palm nut soup. 

The paramount chief of the GA traditional area, the GA Mantse, goes round the town sprinkling the food on the ground. This food he sprinkles are said to be for the gods, as a show of appreciation to them for keeping the people safe and making see another year. 

Natives who have travelled return home and family issues are discussed in every household. Disputes are settled and there is a merry making. There is also a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of the region. 

The King delivers his annual speech and advises the people to do what is right and live in harmony with one another. The chief priest pours libation and prays for the people. The king sits in state and receives dignitaries amidst drumming and dancing.

The grand durbar marks the end of the celebrations. The moral of the HOMOWO festival is to show to the people that with hard work and determination, they can succeed in everything they do. Just as their ancestors did, in the face of hunger and starvation, they did just sit down, but worked hard to overcome the famine. 

That is the spirit of HOMOWO!