Fetu Afahye
| Languages edey speak, rep anaa sign | Fante  |
|---|---|
| Ethnic group | Oguaa |
| Culture | culture of Ghana |
| Continent | Africa |
| Country | Ghana |
| Edey de administrative territorial entity insyd | Central Region |
| Ein location | Cape Coast, Central Region |
| Month of the year | September |
De Fetu Afahye be festival wey chiefs den Cape Coast people dey celebrate for Central region of Ghana.[1] Dem dey celebrate de festival for first Saturday wey dey de month of September every year.[1] De Oguaa people for Cape Coast dey celebrate Fetu Afahye every year secof dem tyms sam outbreak of disease happen for dema body wey emake chaw menners die. De people pray to demma gods for help so say Dem go get rid of de disease. Wey dem dey celebrate de festival so say ego make demma town clean den make estop anoda epidemic happen for dema side again.
History
[edit | edit source]Fetu Afahye be annual festival wey de people den chiefs of Cape Coast Traditional Area for de Central Region for Ghana insyd celebrate. Once upon a tym wey sam plague be for Cape Coast insyd as history have am. Na ebe devastating wey de people of Cape Coast demand say dema gods for intervene. Howeva, na dem believe say de inhabitants for Cape Coast den ein environs eliminate dis plague plus de help of dema gods, hence, de name "Fetu" – originally Efin Tu ("dey do away plus dirt"). Dem sanso dey observe am make dem commemorate bumper harvest from de sea as well as dey perform rituals make dem thank de 77 gods of Oguaa Traditional Area.[2]
De then colonial administration for de country once ban de Fetu Afahye, den specifically Cape Coast, wey dem term am "Black Christmas" so say e go depict as bad traditional phenomenon. De Omanhen (paramount chief) for dat tym, wey dem name am as de Osabarimba Kodwo Mbra V, Okyeame Ekow Atta, debunk dis conception as misleading. Between 1948 den 1996, dem finally resume de festival, after de religious struggle from various important personalities for de Oguaa Traditional Area insyd. Dem now dey use de festival as calendar give de farming seasons for de Oguaa Traditional Area wey dem dey refer to dis particular phenomenon as "Afehyia", wey dey mean "loop of seasons".
Important Highlights of de Fetu Afahye
[edit | edit source]- Dem dey confine de Omanhen for week prior to de actual celebration.
- Pouring of libation to de 77 gods
- Dem dey ban all drumming festivities den drumming sounds
- Dem dey ban fishing insyd de Fosu Lagoon top
- Observation of "Amuntumadeze", day dem dedicate to de general cleaning of de towns.
- Dem dey hold de climax of de event for de first Saturday insyd September.
- Dem dey hold grand ceremony for Sunday, wen dem dey hold joint service of all Christian denominations at Victoria Park.
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Festivals in Ghana". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ↑ "Oguaa Fetu Afahye Festival, Cape Coast". Afro Tourism. 23 March 2016. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2024.