Akwasidae Festival

De Akwasidae Festival (some people dey call am Akwasiadae) be celebration wey de Ashanti people den dema chiefs dey do for Ashanti Region den even people wey come from Ashanti buh dey live elsewhere. Dem dey celebrate am on Sunday every six weeks.

 Observance 
Dem divide de Akan annual calendar into nine months. Each month last about six weeks - sometimes 40 days, sometimes 42. Dem dey celebrate dis time period as de Adae Festival. For each Adae period, dem dey celebrate two main days: Akwasidae Festival, wey dey fall on de last Sunday insyd de six-week period anaa Awukudae Festival, wey dey fall on one Wednesday insyd de same period. Then de Friday before 10 days to Akwasidae be called Fofie, wich mean ritual Friday. Since Akwasidae always fall on Sunday (Twi people dey call Sunday “Kwasidae”), de next one fi come after either 40 anaa 42 days, dey depend on Ashanti calendar.

De last Akwasidae for de year be very special. Dat one be de Adae Kese Festival, de biggest festival for de Ashanti religion. Dat time, people dey give food offerings den donations make dem help others. Adae Kese be mainly about cleansing de Golden Stool, de sacred symbol of Asante power. De dates for all these Adae festivals no dey change, dem fix from ancient times.Braffi 2002, p. 10.

 Rites den Celebration 
De festival dey honor ancestors, both personal den community ones. For de celebration, dem do gathering wey dem call Akom - plus chaw drumming, dancing den singing to show respect to de Abosom (lesser gods) den Nsamanfo (spirit ancestors). People dey present food offerings like Eto (mashed yam) plus boiled eggs on top. Every Ashanti person dey celebrate dis festival.Opokuwaa 2005, p. 92. For those wey no dey observe Odwira, Akwasidae be de main way dem connect to dema ancestors.Ayisi 1992, p. 83.

On Akwasidae day, de Asantehene (Ashanti King) dey meet ein people den de sub-chiefs for Manhyia Palace courtyard. Dem dey put de Golden Stool on display for de palace grounds while people come plenty plus singing den dancing. De king dey hold durbar wey anybody fi greet anaa shake hands plus am. Before de durbar, de king dey move in grand style insyd palanquin wey shine plus gold jewellery. From de palace grounds, he go see colourful procession - drum beaters, dancers, horn blowers, den singers all join.

Since de festival be for respect to de ancestors, de king sanso go go Bantama Mausoleum make he honour de stools (ancestral chairs) den de bones of past kings. But e no be say he dey worship de stools anaa de bones - e just dey pay homage.

 References 
Category:Ashanti people
Category:Cultural festivals insyd Ghana
Category:Ashanti Region
Category:Festivals insyd Ghana

Bibliography

Category:Ashanti people
Category:Cultural festivals insyd Ghana
Category:Ashanti Region
Category:Festivals insyd Ghana