A journey to enjoy the incredible atmosphere of the spectacular Millet Festival, in Ghana, a celebration full of colors and jewels.
The celebration of the Millet Festival, among the Krobo people, is an incredible feast, rich in colours and jewels, taking place every year at the end of the harvest season.
The festival now typically takes place the last weekend of October to celebrate the crop; Ngmayem is the festival’s name in the local language.
The festival consists in seven days of religious and social celebrations during which people renew their love, unity and solidarity and express their gratitude to God for all the blessings received: good harvests, abundance, good health and protection from enemies.
This harvest celebration culminates in a procession of drummers, palanquin-riding leaders, and vibrant colors called Guami yam, the gathering of local kings, chiefs and nine queen mothers all decked in more elaborate robes, jewelry and glass beads.
Traditional chiefs arrive with their entire court and are dressed in their most beautiful attires; an enthusiastic crowd surrounds them and the parade is accompanied by the rhythm of the drums.
This festival also provides youth with the opportunity to learn their culture, make friends and choose spouses.
In the past there was the Ngmayem Festival celebrated only by priests however, in the 1940s, the late paramount king “Konor Oklemekuku nene Azu Mate Kole II” transformed this celebration into the communal festival we know today, to promote solidarity and development among people.
