La Launches Homowo Festival

The people of La have launched this year’s Homowo festival with a commitment to use the event as an avenue to promote peace and development. 

Launching the festival in Accra yestersday, the La Shikitele, Nii Adjei Kofeh IV, urged stakeholders to observe the rites and guidelines, including the ban on noise-making, adding that “the ban is not to prevent businesses from operating, they can still make use of cultural songs”.

He called on businesses operating in La communities to support the festival which would be celebrated in La on August 21, 2024. The festival, he said, was not just about rites but also an significant economic chance for local businesses.

“The clothes worn and videos shared through the use of data during the festival can positively impact local businesses, which is why we are appealing to the business community operating on our lands to support the festival,” Nii Kofeh said. 

Misconception
He further said that the festival was not a service to lesser gods, stressing that there was nothing fetish about the festival. Nii Kofeh said there was no truth to claims that the festival could not be celebrated without a substantive chief.

“We consulted with the principal deity and received approval to persist celebrating the Homowo festival. “We hope that everyone will learn about and participate in this distinct festival in peace and unity,” he added. 

Homowo
Homowo is celebrated by the people of Ga Mashie, Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua, Tema, Kpone, Dawhenya, Prampram, and indeed the GaDangme people between May and September every year.

Homowo, which means hooting at hunger, is celebrated to mark the bumper harvest after a prolonged famine due to drought suffered by their ancestors during their exodus from Israel to their present settlements.

The main characteristic of the festival is the sprinkling of kpokpoi, the traditional meal prepared from corn. Aside from the cooking, sprinkling and eating of kpokpoi, each of the towns has a distinct way of celebrating the Homowo festival.

La Homowo
The La Homowo, which is celebrated with a distinct song and dance, known as Kpalala and Kpashimo, respectively, spans a period of four months, starting from the third week of May and ending in the second week of September.

It is patronised by people from all walks of life due to its countless beautiful and captivating traditional and customary rites which are the other side attractions which make it distinct from the others.

The La people are celebrating this year’s Homowo on the theme: “Development through good neighbourliness and peace: the role of traditional festivals”. Activities lined up for cross-cultural interchanges include a JHS quiz, street carnival, homecoming float, kpokpoi cooking competition and Christian songs competition.