Homowo Festival is arguably the most popular festival in Ghana, celebrated by the Gas who are found along the s
South Coast of Ghana, in the Greater Accra region. The name of the festival HOMOWO simply means ‘Hooting at Hunger’. The genesis of the festival lies deeply rooted in the history of the Gas. According to popular Ga forklore, there was a time, hundreds of years ago when the Gas faced severe famine due to the lack of rainfall.
According to the Gas, the period was one of the most challenging times in the history of the Ga people as the famine resulted in deaths. After a very long time, the rains finally returned, to the joy and celebration of the people. To mark the return of the rain and an end to the suffering of the people, the Homowo festival was created hence its meaning ‘hooting at hunger’.
The festival begins with the planting of maize months before the celebration commences. The maize planted are specially for the preparing of Kpokpoi, the food used to celebrate the festival. Once the festival commences, a ban is placed on noise making of all kinds such as drumming or playing of loud music as it is believed that the gods of the land abhors noise making during this period.
The biggest attraction of the festival is the sprinkling of the Kpokpoi by the traditional priests throughout the Ga communities. An act that is interpreted as feeding the gods of the land.
Some quartet of the Gas believes they come from a lineage that traces back to the Jewish tribe, and the celebration of the Homowo has its roots in the Jewish Passover feast. This claim has however not been proven by any scientific evidence.
Homowo is celebrated in the month of May every year by all the traditional Ga communities including Jamestown, Teshie and La.
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