Sunday 11 May -
Mother’s Day (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bonaire, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Dem. Rep., Congo, Rep., Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Gabon, Gambia, Greenland, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay, Vietnam, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe)
There are more than 100 celebrations held in Ghana throughout the year. You can always catch at least one Ghana holiday or festival regardless of when you choose to visit the country. Most festivals are built upon long-celebrated practices, and are for honoring religion, ancestors, rites of passage, or harvest.
Bugum Festival
This "fire" festival is Islamic in origin and is primarily observed in Northern Ghana where the population is mostly Muslim. It is held early in January and and is often celebrated with processions and festive dancing accompanied by lively drumming.
Edina Buronya
This festival is celebrated by the Elmina people and is observed every first Thursday of the new year. This tradition dates back to the Dutch occupation and is essentially a version of Christmas. Some rituals carried out during this event include fish-catching, drumming and dancing.
Dzawuwu Festival
Dzawuwu Festival is held in February in the Agave region. It is a thanksgiving event marked by offerings to the gods and traditional dancing, as well as colorful gatherings of chiefs.
Gologo Festival
This festival is celebrated by the Talensi people (Tong-Zug). This is a pre-harvest event held each year in March. Ghanaians believe it to guarantee rain and a good harvest.
Willa
Willa festival is a celebration giving thanks to ancestors. It is held on 27th April at Takpo.
Bobum
This is an initiation rite celebrating girls becoming women. It is held in April in Krobo Odumase and Somanya towns to the north of Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Female tribe members deck themselves out in beautiful beads.
Aboakyir Festival
Aboakyir is a deer-hunting festival in Ghana that is popular with the local Winneba people. During this celebration in May, two competing warrior groups prove their bravery and strength by catching a live antelope.
Environmental Film Festival
This event takes place annually in June in Accra. Thousands of movie-goers attended the festival every year. It features documentaries and various other genres with themes always revolving around the environment.
Bakatue
This event marks the start of the new fishing season. It is held in Elmina on the first Tuesday of July and is celebrated with a grand procession that includes offerings, a regatta and attendance by the chiefs, which is topped off with merry-making.
Panfest
Held every two years in African countries in July/August, Panfest showcases different aspects of pan-African and Ghanaian culture. It is often commemorated with dance, music and drama performances.
Homowo
Homowo is a Ga harvest celebration. Local people offer festive food to their ancestors and gods before planting crops to secure a successful season. It takes place each May.
Damba
This festival is observed during three days in mid-September in the northern regions of Ghana. If you visit it you will likely see pageants and horseback riding displays.
Ghana Garden and Flower Show
The Ghana Garden and Flower Show held in september is designed to help beautify Ghana, enhance its green spaces and make it a pleasant habitat for its citizens while contributing to making Ghana a compelling investment and tourism destination.
Fetu-Afahye
Fetu-Afahye features a procession accompanied by drumming and dancing. It commemorates the first encounter of colonial visitors with Ghanaians. The festival is observed by the Oguaa people of the Cape Coast in September.
Dodoleglime
This historic November event is held in the Volta region. It marks the escape of the Ghana people from the tyrannical rule of invaders during the 17th century.
Hogbetsotso
Hogbetsotso is a colorful fiesta that is held in the town of Hinloga. It is celebrated every first Sunday of November with large gatherings, drumming and dancing.