Festivals & Events

1. Afahyɛ

   Festival

   Usage

   The basic word for a festival. It follows the festival name (for example Akwasidae Afahyɛ)

   Grammar Note

   Afahyɛ comes at the end of a festival name: "name + Afahyɛ", as in Akwasidae Afahyɛ.

2. Akwasidae Afahyɛ

   Akwasidae Festival (an Asante festival)

   Usage

   A festival the Asante hold on a Sunday about every six weeks. At Manhyia Palace in Kumasi the Asantehene (the king) appears before his people amid drumming and dancing. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

   Grammar Note

   Akwasidae is a day of the Asante calendar. Dress modestly and respectfully if you attend, and ask before taking photos.

3. Odwira Afahyɛ

   Odwira Festival (an autumn festival)

   Usage

   An Akan festival of thanks for the new yam harvest and of purification of the town. The Akuapem version (for example in Akropong) is the best known. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

   Grammar Note

   Odwira is the festival name, and each town has its own rules around it. Visitors should join only the events they are invited to.

4. Aboakyere Afahyɛ

   Aboakyere Festival (the deer-catching festival of Winneba)

   Usage

   A festival the Effutu people hold in Winneba every May, in which two warrior companies compete to catch a live deer. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

   Grammar Note

   Aboakyere is understood to mean catching an animal. The town gets very crowded on the day, so arrive early and secure lodging.

5. Bakatue Afahyɛ

   Bakatue Festival (Elmina’s fishing festival)

   Usage

   A festival held in Elmina every July, with a ceremony that opens the Benya lagoon to begin the fishing season. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

   Grammar Note

   Bakatue is a festival name from the Fante-speaking coast, held by the people of Edina (Elmina), where speech differs a little from Asante Twi.

6. Kundum Afahyɛ

   Kundum Festival (a harvest festival of the Western Region)

   Usage

   A harvest festival of the Ahanta and Nzema peoples of the Western Region, held town by town through the autumn. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

   Grammar Note

   Kundum is the festival name. Each town holds it on different days, so find out where it is taking place first.

7. Damba Afahyɛ

   Damba Festival (a northern festival)

   Usage

   A festival celebrated by the Dagomba and Gonja peoples of the north, for example around Tamale, with horse processions, drumming and dancing. It follows the Islamic calendar. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

   Grammar Note

   Damba is a northern-language festival name; Akan adds Afahyɛ to it. The north is not Akan-speaking, so English is usually easier there.

8. Homowo

   Homowo (the festival of the Ga people of Accra)

   Usage

   A festival of the Ga people of Accra, around August and September. The name means hooting at hunger, and people share corn dishes to celebrate a good harvest. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

   Grammar Note

   Homowo is a Ga-language name, not Akan, and is used on its own without Afahyɛ.

9. Yaa Asantewaa Afahyɛ

   Yaa Asantewaa Festival (honouring the queen mother of Ejisu)

   Usage

   A festival honouring Yaa Asantewaa, the queen mother of Ejisu who led the 1900 Asante War of the Golden Stool. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

   Grammar Note

   Yaa is the name given to a girl born on a Thursday. Akan personal names follow the day of birth.

10. Kente Afahyɛ

    Kente Festival (a festival of kente weaving)

    Usage

    A festival celebrating the kente weaving tradition, held in weaving towns, with weaving demonstrations and displays of cloth. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

    Grammar Note

    Kente is the internationally known name of the cloth and is used with this spelling.

11. Mepɛ sɛ mehwɛ afahyɛ no

    I want to see the festival

    Usage

    How to say you want to watch a festival. You can replace afahyɛ with another noun

    Grammar Note

    mehwɛ is me (I) + hwɛ (look). No follows a noun to mean "the"; Akan has no articles.

12. Afahyɛ no wɔ he?

    Where is the festival?

    Usage

    How to ask someone where a festival takes place

    Grammar Note

    "X wɔ he?" is the "where is X" pattern, built like Asɔredan wɔ he? elsewhere in this deck.

Browse all TravelPhrases languages