The Homowo Festival

Homowo is a harvest festival celebrated by the Ga people of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region.
The festival starts in the month of August with the planting of crops (mainly maize and yam)
before the rainy season starts. During the festival, they perform a dance called Kpanlogo.
Homowo is a harvest festival celebrated by the Ga people of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region.
The festival starts in the month of August with the planting of crops (mainly maize and yam)
before the rainy season starts. During the festival, they perform a dance called Kpanlogo. The
word homowo means ‘hooting at hunger’.

How is the Homowo Festival celebrated

Homowo festival celebrations start with the blessing of crops as they are sown, followed by a
series of dances and rituals until the harvest is reaped and the ‘Thanksgiving’ feast is shared.
This festival dates back to the 16th century, when the Ga people suffered many hardships,
including a severe famine, during their travels across Africa.

How did the Homowo festival come about

The tradition of Homowo started with a period of hunger leading to famine due to failure of
the seasonal rains needed by crops in the Greater Accra Region, where the Ga
people predominantly dwell. When the rains returned to normal, the Ga people celebrated by
creating the Homowo festival, hence its name and meaning.