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Fereydoun's Favorite Holidays in August
Hiroshima Day
Hiroshima Day is observed in many parts of the world with special vigils and peace marches. It is held to commemorate the dropping of the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
Three days later a second bomb fell on the city of Nagasaki.
The occasion is marked on August 6, to express the hope for PEACE in the world
Let's celebrate this August, the holiday that puts emphasis on PEACE.
Homowo Day in Ghana
Usually Thursday, Friday and Saturday-in 2003 it will be July 31, August 1 & 2
 What other holiday starts on Thursday and goes through the weekend?
Hint: It has to do with a lot of food. Yum, yum!
The word "Homowo" which actually means 'making fun of hunger,' or 'SHAME ON HUNGER' is, as you may have guessed, another version of the American"Thanksgiving."
Traditional oral history describes a time long ago when the rains stopped and the sea closed its gates. A deadly famine spread throughout the southern Accra Plains, the home of the Ga people. When the harvest finally arrived and food became plentiful, the people were so happy that they celebrated with a festival that ridiculed hunger.
The Homowo festival starts with the planting of crops before the May rainy season and continues through August. The actual time for the August celebration is determined by the Chief Priests after they consult with the Lagoon Oracles.
Sometime in June there is a total ban on noise throughout the State, and fishing is limited to certain days. In early August the celebrations begin with a special Yam festival in honor of the Spirits, the eternal protectors of the Ga people.
All Ga people (Ghana stands for the Ga people) are required by traditional law to return to the homes of their father's for the celebration of the Homowo Festival. The main celebration starts with the arrival of all the Ga people who live outside the State. During the appointed week in the month of August thousands of people come from near and far to all the Ga cities.
On the Thursday before the main celebration thousands of people arrive from the outlying villages with their harvested crops of all kind. They are referred to as "Thursday People" or (Soobii). The Soobii, the local townspeople, and parades of musicians meander through the streets all day and into the night. It is a time for romance. Young people meet each other, get acquainted, and start new relationships.
At dawn on Friday a Memorial Service is held to honor all those who died during the previous year. Crying is heard from homes and streets all over the Ga State.
Later on in the morning there is a Birthday Celebration for all the Twins. Twins and all multiple births are revered by the Ga people and are regarded as special blessings.
The celebrations continue on Saturday, the Homowo Day itself. Food for the Festival is cooked in large quantities. The special dish, "kpekpele," is prepared by steaming fermented corn meal. This is eaten with traditional palm soup prepared with lots and lots of smoked fish.
Do you have a Holiday like Homowo in your country? Then go to "Write to Fereydoun" and tell us about what everybody does during this holiday.
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