Celebrated each May in Ghana, Aboakyer is a festival marking the migration of the Simpa people from the ancient western Sudanese empire to Ghana. According to tradition, the people were instructed to flee their home when the ruling empire decreed that members of the Simpa people's royal family were to be sacrificed every year. Rather than submit to this, the people followed two brothers and their god Otu to their new homeland of Pekyi, where they remain today. The festival is celebrated with traditional chants and the killing of a deer. It is considered a major festival in Ghana.
Homowo is a harvest festival celebrated by the Ga people of Accra. The month-long festival is a major holiday for the Ga people because it marks the arrival of the yearly millet crop, which is a staple food of the region. Generally falling at the end of August, the festival is a time of music and prayer as well as feasting. The traditional food prepared for Homowo is called kpokpoi, a dish of ground corn steamed with palm oil and eaten with palm nut soup.
The annual warrior's festival of Asafotu-Fiam is celebrated by the people of Ada, near Accra. Celebrated from the last Thursday of July until the first weekend in August, the festivals commemorate the victories of warriors in past battles as well as those who died. Participants dress in traditional gear and stage mock battles, which is both a part of the celebration and also introduces the younger men to the warrior lifestyle. The festival also ushers in the season of harvest and acts as a purification ritual to bring the people prosperity in the coming year. Traditional military groups called "Asafo Companies" dance through the street amid drumming and singing.
Afenorto, or "Staying at Home," is an important festival of the Mepe people of the Volta region. The spirit behind the festival is similar to that of Thanksgiving in the United States. People visit with their families, take stock of their lives and offer thanks for what they have. Often it is a time when younger members of the society find their future spouses. An important aspect of the festival is the honoring of the ancestors, which is done by pouring libations and building small altars, as well as telling stories and singing songs about past generations. Community development projects are also undertaken during the time of Afenorto to help build prosperity for future generations.
