Why Bakatue Festival Is Celebrated

Bakatue Festival is touted to be one of the oldest festivals in Ghana with celebration going as far back as 1800.

This is evidenced in the fact that Governor Cornelis Nagtglass once cited the festival in an official report.

Originally, the festival was instituted by the Portuguese to celebrate the founding of Elmina during the early days of colonization. However, the festival has over the century, evolved to become a traditional festival of the people and is traditionally celebrated in the first week of the month of July to mark the beginning of the fishing season in the Elmina Township.

The festival is also celebrated to offer thanksgiving and appreciation to the gods for a good fishing year and pray for a better year in the coming fishing season. While times have changed and the people are predominantly Christians today, they still observe the festival and look forward to it every year with great anticipation as they still believe their ancestors and traditional gods play an active role in their lives. They also pray to the ancestors and gods for a good fishing season.