Among Ghana's many traditional celebrations, some of the most
interesting are those that accompany the bestowing of a name
upon an infant shortly after its birth, the initiation rites
that symbolize the passage from adolescence to adulthood, marriage
and funeral ceremonies.
Each ethnic group and every town or village also has its
own annual festival, serving to strengthen inter-personal
bonds. These may include inter-tribal reconciliations, or
the renewal of pledges of fidelity to chiefs and ancestors
who are considered as forming an invisible link to the world
of their present-day subjects and descendants. Such festivals
may vary considerably in their form, the period in which they
occur and their underlying significance, but by their sheer
diversity they testify to the richness of Ghana's cultural
heritage while constituting an ongoing source of fascination
for visitors.
In a general manner, the celebrations also commemorate historical
events endowed with a special significance to the inhabitants
of a given locality, or the members of an ethnic group or
clan. In many cases, festivals also mark the beginning or
end of harvest seasons, the purification of ancestors' stools
or the pacification of a divinity. But whatever their form
or purpose, all are based on the belief in an invisible universe
peopled by supernatural beings whose thoughts and actions
influence the events and inhabitants of the material world.
In many instances, festivals are also occasions for renewing
the bonds between one's ancestors and tribal divinities.
In general, most ritual offerings are divided into two phases:
the rites, which are observed in private, including sacrifices
to divinities and ancestors, ritual libations and incantational
magic. Once this is accomplished, the public celebration commences,
during which the village chief dons his finest regalia and
displays all the symbols of his power and prestige. Enthroned
upon on a palanquin and protected by a splendid canopy, the
local chieftain is paraded through the village by retainers
and members of his court dressed in their best ceremonial
finery. These rituals or Durbars draw huge crowds which gather
to renew their pledge or fidelity and allegiance to their
leader. As the Durbar festivities spread to every street of
the village, the inhabitants joyfully sing and dance, accompanied
by ritual drums often used solely on these occasions.
There is nothing religious about these festivities, and the
same type of celebration may take place in honour of the arrival
of an illustrious guest or important visitor.
Filming and photography are allowed during these festivities.
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