In some ways, the Homowo festival can be seen as a rite of passage. The four stages that make up this passage are; Safe passage, Moments of learning, Connection to Community, and Transformation Experiences.
The festival began with the migration of the Ga people from an area near Israel to modern day Nigeria . Soon, a famine occurred, and the Ga's were forced to move westward until they reached the Accra Plain. This passage was a literal one, where the community relocated to find safety and to survive. There is also another sort of safe passage that the Ga recognizes. Within the Homowo Festival, there are special memorials and celebrations reserved for those who died within the year. It is a way for all of the living Ga to come together and pray for safe passage to the deceased. On a lighter note, there is another smaller celebration for all of the twin births from that year, which is meant to help strengthen the community with the luck and fortune of the infants. In the Ga tradition, twins are seen as a rare but great blessing and good fortune.
From the time the festival begins in early May to its end in late August, a great deal of culture and ritual is passed within the Ga community. This occurs through the instruction of parents to children, sister to brother, friend to friend. The story of how the Ga came to the Accra Plain is literally relived during these months. At this time, recipes are passed down, along with dances, songs, and family traditions. The Homowo festival brings the community together.
Even if there wasn't a law that forced the Ga's to return to the homes of their father's, togetherness would still be the core value of the Homowo Festival. Families welcome complete strangers into their homes for food, song, or even a place to stay. Sometimes these strangers aren't even Ga's, but are treated with the same hospitality. The day that truly recognizes community is “Thursday People,” where huge reunions occur and new friendships, even romances originate. It is the day where more relationships begin within the Ga community than any other day of the year.
The Accra Plain metamorphoses from a thriving, functional city, to a mass of lively people in the streets. The actual transformation that occurs is when the harvest takes place in August, but the intended transformation is within the Ga's themselves. It is a joyous time where thanks are given that the Ga's have food, and don't have to face the famine that their ancestors once endured. Food is everywhere and available for everyone to eat. This transformation occurs year after year, to laugh at and ridicule the hunger that their people have once suffered.
The Homowo celebration has many positive side effects on the rest of the country. The Ga people, which account for 3% of the twenty million residents, show the rest of the country how important community and culture is. In a country where political strife has been a constant plague, it reinforces the democracy where people are free and equal. The harvest itself, which intertwines with the agricultural industry, emphasizes the importance of farming and the food which the people of Ghana rely on. This festival also plays an important role on the religious beliefs of the Ga people. It is a time where their Spirits, who are the Ga's eternal protectors, are remembered and honored. During these hot, humid months, a true appreciation emerges from the Accra Plain. This gratitude is rooted in community, togetherness, and remembrance.
In a place where poverty is second nature and infant death rates are on the rise, there is a shining light in Ghana . The Homowo Festival is a considerably long celebration, which lasts from the planting and doesn't end until after the harvest. It shows how much importance the Ga people place on community and thanks. Its duration also emphasizes the importance the Ga place on their heritage and their ancestors. Everyone is included in this celebration; the deceased are remembered, the children are blessed, the family is united, and the community becomes one. This celebration has been growing right along with the population of the Ga's. As long as there is food to harvest, the Homowo Festival will continue to be one of the most joyous celebrations in existence.