The Avatime people of Ghana pay even greater
attention to the presowing period and engage in
many rituals whose purpose is to appeal to the ances-
tors and divinities so that the Avatime community
will have much to reap at harvest time. Their farming
year starts sometime in June, when a particular con-
stellation of stars has appeared in the sky. The Sunday
after the constellation appears, libations are poured
to the rice gods in each village. What follows is a
series of rituals, every other Sunday or so, when the
priests go to a sacred place in the forest and pour
additional libations. This is repeated one more
Sunday, which ends with the priests dancing alone at
first and then together. As they dance, their move-
ments imitate the movements associated with the
planting and preparation of rice. The next day,
Monday, all go into the fields so that planting may
start. During the period leading up to the beginning
of sowing, loud noises must be avoided altogether.
No dancing, no drumming, no singing, and no
mourning may take place because the spirits are
believed to be at work, preparing the land for success-
ful sowing. Therefore, they should not be disturbed,
but left to focus on this most important task.
Toward the end of November, the rice is ripe and
ready. Preparations for the harvesting rituals get
underway, with more libations being poured and
the sacrifice of a black male goat that has been cas-
trated. Cowries are tied to the goat’s neck, and red
and white marks are made on its forehead with
clay. The meat is cooked, along with rice, and
offered first to the rice gods. Only then can people
start eating as well and rejoice together.
Harvest FestivalsHarvest feasts and festivals are in fact quite com-
mon throughout Africa. In reality, since ancient
times, the harvest period has been one of great col-
lective rejoicing in Africa. In Kemet (or ancient
Egypt), the Africans held a harvest festival during
the spring. This festival was dedicated to Min, the
ancient Egyptian god of vegetation and fertility. The
Pharaoh opened the festival by collecting the first
ears of grain. The Pharaoh also participated in the
festival parade. The latter was followed by a great
feast, complete with music, dancing, and athletic
activities and demonstrations. In Nubia also, the
time of harvest was one of great dancing.
This tradition has remained alive in other
African societies equally concerned with agricul-
ture. The masquerades organized by the Eastern
Igbo as part of their harvest festival are also well
documented. The Ogoni from Nigeria have also
commonly celebrated the harvest of yams with
masked dances. The Homowo Festival of the Ga
people from Ghana has become well known. It
starts with sowing by spiritual leaders during
the month of May. Like the Avatime, the Ga also
observe a ban over drumming and loud noise.
The word Homowo in Ga means “to hoot at
hunger; to make fun of hunger” and is related to
the Ga story, according to which at some point in
their history the Ga people almost starved due to
the absence of rain. When the drought was over
and plants started growing again, the Ga people
held a special Homowo celebration to rejoice and
give thanks to the spirits.
The actual Homowo festival takes place in
August, and thousands participate. All Ga people
are expected to return to their father’s house to
take part in the celebration. Homowo Day is on a
Saturday. In preparation, large quantities of food
are cooked. A special ritual dish, known as
kpekpele, is prepared with steamed fermented
corn meal and eaten with palm soup prepared
with smoked fish. On Homowo day, offerings of
kpekpele are made throughout the cities to show
appreciation and gratitude to the ancestors. After
the rituals have been performed, the streets fill up
with dancers and drummers, and kpekpele is
shared.
The festival known asYam Festivalhas also
become a quite popular holiday in Nigeria. The
first yams to be harvested are offered to the divini-
ties and the ancestors as a way of thanking them
for their benevolence and generosity. The Yam
Festival is held not only in Africa, but in other
places with large West African communities, such
as the United Kingdom. It is also the same spirit of
giving thanks and expressing gratitude for the
blessings of life bestowed upon by the ancestors
that informs the African American holiday,
Kwanzaa, created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga.Ama MazamaSeealsoAncestors; Offering; Rituals; SacrificeHarvest 305