As the farming season gives way to harvest, Bawku in Ghana’s Upper East Region prepares for a celebration filled with traditional drumming, dancing and colourful cultural displays.

Families gather, traditional leaders come together and the sounds of celebration fill the community as the Kusasi people mark Samanpiid, an annual festival of thanksgiving, renewal and togetherness.

Celebrated in November or December, Samanpiid is rooted in the agricultural traditions of the Kusasi people of the Kusaug Traditional Area. For generations, farming has been central to community life, making a successful harvest a moment of profound gratitude.

The festival provides an opportunity to thank God, ancestral spirits, and the spiritual forces believed to protect the people and bless their farms.

The name Samanpiid is commonly interpreted as ‘sweeping the compound’. Beyond the physical act of cleaning, it carries a deeper message of clearing away difficulties, settling disagreements and making room for a fresh beginning.

The occasion encourages forgiveness and reconciliation among families and neighbours, particularly after the demands and occasional disputes of the farming season. UEW Scholar+1

Traditional observances include sacrifices and offerings expressing gratitude for the harvest and seeking continued protection and prosperity. These spiritual activities are followed by public celebrations featuring traditional music, energetic dancing and colourful costumes.

A grand durbar, bringing together chiefs, elders and community members, provides a focal point for the festivities. UERCC+1

Over time, Samanpiid has also developed into an important occasion for discussing the future of Kusaug. Community development, education, peace and social unity feature in the wider celebrations.

Families living elsewhere return home, strengthening relationships and passing cultural values to younger generations. NewsGhana+1

For international visitors, Samanpiid offers an opportunity to encounter the agricultural heritage, spiritual traditions and community life of northern Ghana. For Ghanaians, particularly those reconnecting with their roots, it is a reminder of the importance of gratitude, belonging and shared responsibility.

Experiencing Samanpiid is an invitation to discover Bawku through the traditions of its people, where thanksgiving for the harvest becomes a celebration of identity, renewal and hope.

Food has a remarkable way of bringing people together, crossing borders and reconnecting families with memories of home.

In Ghana, where traditional dishes tell stories of heritage, identity and community, the Ghana Food Festival: Diaspora Experience offers an opportunity to celebrate these connections through a shared love of food.

Returning for its sixth edition, the festival will take place on Saturday, December 12, 2026, at the Department of Parks and Gardens in Cantonments, Accra.

The gathering brings together Ghanaian and diasporan food businesses, creative entrepreneurs, food enthusiasts and cultural enthusiasts for a day dedicated to culinary discovery, networking and cultural exchange.

For visitors, the festival promises an opportunity to experience Ghana beyond its familiar tourist attractions. Food takes centre stage, offering a chance to discover the country’s culinary traditions while meeting the people and businesses keeping them alive.

From local food enterprises to creative ventures, the event provides a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their work and connect with potential customers and partners.

Cultural experiences and entertainment will add to the atmosphere, creating space for conversations, new friendships and meaningful connections between people living in Ghana and those returning from the diaspora.

For Ghanaians abroad, the gathering offers a welcome reminder of home, where familiar flavours and shared experiences can renew connections with their roots.

International visitors, meanwhile, can gain a more personal understanding of Ghanaian culture through its food and the people behind it.

Running from noon to 10pm, admission is free, although registration is required.

Whether reconnecting with familiar traditions or discovering Ghanaian cuisine for the first time, the festival offers a welcoming invitation to experience the country through food, creativity and community.

The forest at Asantemanso holds a story that reaches back to the beginnings of the Ashanti people.

As November gives way to December, Essumeja in the Ashanti Region turns its attention to this sacred ancestral landscape, where chiefs, elders, and community members gather for Nkyidwo, a festival that remembers the origins of the Ashanti kingdom.

Celebrated from the last Monday in November through the first Monday in December, Nkyidwo commemorates the traditional account of the emergence of the first Ashanti ancestors from a great hole in the ground in the Asantemanso forest. Oral tradition associates their appearance with a Monday night, giving the festival its name.

The ancestors are said to have emerged alongside a dog, a frog and a leopard, animals that feature in the community’s ancestral narrative. GhanaRemembers+1

At the heart of the celebration are sacred rituals performed at the forest site, where ancestral remembrance carries deep spiritual meaning.

The ceremonies honour those who came before, while seeking blessings, protection, prosperity and peace for present and future generations.

Saturday brings another important moment, as traditional rulers take part in a procession, displaying the dignity and continuity of Ashanti chieftaincy.

Their presence reinforces the connection between ancestral authority, community leadership and cultural identity.

Beyond its ceremonial importance, Nkyidwo keeps historical knowledge alive, allowing younger generations to understand the traditions from which their identity emerged.

It also strengthens communal bonds and renews respect for the sacred forest.

For visitors to Ghana, experiencing Nkyidwo offers more than a colourful festival: an encounter with the ancestral memory, spirituality, and living heritage of the Ashanti people.