Twins’ Festival celebrates Ga cultural4heritage ahead of Homowo

On Friday, hundreds of residents gathered along the streets of Jamestown to witness the annual Ga traditional Twins’ Festival, a celebration held in anticipation of the Homowo festivities. Known as "Yeyeeye" or "Akwele Suma," the festival venerates twins as divine blessings in Ga culture, featuring traditional rites, prayers, and public festivities.

Tawiah, a local resident, reminisced about participating in the traditional rites with his twin siblings until he was twelve years old. Participants were adorned in vibrant traditional attire, with twins of various ages paraded through the main streets of Ga Mashie. This procession included some twins riding horses and others being carried by their parents or relatives, accompanied by singing and drumming.

Traditional rites were performed by priests and family elders, involving libations and a sacred herbal bath made with seawater, schnapps, an egg, and other traditional herbs. Twins, dressed in identical outfits, received gifts from residents as part of the festivities. Symbolizing long life, fertility, prosperity, and good fortune, the festival particularly benefits families hoping to conceive twins or expecting children.

Tawiah noted that the celebration remains largely unchanged over the years, attracting attendees from both within and outside Ga Mashie. He added that although the ritual is for Ga people, families with twins from other ethnic groups join the celebration too. Nii Joshua Acquaye from the Sempe Traditional Area explained that twins were viewed as spiritual beings, warranting special traditional rites to invoke blessings and ward off misfortunes.

The rites included cleansing the twins with herbs in water, followed by a ritual to cleanse the area of negativity, paving the way for blessings and merrymaking. Numo Nii Sanie Gua IV from Asene, Ga Mashie, expressed belief in the traditional rites, describing them as crucial for celebrating twins and invoking blessings. The herbs mixed with water were placed in a wooden pot, symbolically removing misfortunes and bringing blessings before the twins were carried to the 'Kpoenor' and the herbs taken to Naa Korle Na for libation and prayers.

Mr Joseph Esseh of the Gbese Traditional Area and Osu Kinkawe led the rites for his twin son and daughter, noting that Ga tradition requires spiritually consulting twins about their desired celebration. His twins, Nathan and Natalie, had previously directed the family to celebrate Homowo, take them out, and baptize them after the festival. Following their wishes, the family organized a party for the twins this year.