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Homowo: From Accra to Toronto, Hooting at Hunger Perseveres

By Nii Ako Boi-Doku

Homowo is the annual harvest festival of the Ga people in Ghana’s Greater Accra region, celebrated in communities from Ga Mashie (central Accra) to Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua, Tema, and Kpone. The word “Homowo” means “hooting at hunger” a name born from the Ga’s triumph over an ancient famine that threatened their survival. By “hooting” or mocking hunger, the Ga celebrate the bounty that followed adversity, turning a history of scarcity into a triumphant occasion of plenty. Homowo traditionally takes place in August, after the harvest, and it remains a cornerstone of Ga cultural identity both in Ghana and wherever Ga people have settled abroad.

The preparation for Homowo is a journey through the months richly filled with customs and traditions. As Ga-Dangme Cultural Activist and Royal Poet Nii Kwardey Ntreh explains, it begins in May with Shibaa, the clearing of land and planting of millet or maize. Once the first seeds are sown, “a ban on drumming and noise-making takes effect” in Ga Mashie and throughout Greater Accra. This month-long quiet period is meant to show respect for the gods and ensure nothing disturbs the growth of the crops. After the millet or maize is harvested (the phase called Nmaadumor & Nmaafaa), the ban is lifted in a ceremony known as Odadao, signalling that it’s time to make noise and celebrate.

When the harvest is in, the festivities truly kick off. The Thursday before the main festival, known as Soobii (“Thursday people”), is a homecoming day when Ga families welcome relatives from far and near back to their ancestral homes. Friday is marked by Haajii Ayele Yeli, often referred to as the twin festival; a day dedicated to honouring twins, who hold a beloved place in Ga traditions and culture. Then on Homowo Saturday, the entire community shares in a ceremonial feast. The women rise early to prepare the kpokpoi (also spelled kpekple), a hearty steamed cornmeal dish prepared with palm oil and served with palm nut soup. This sacred meal is traditionally made with fish from the sea (no meat) and is offered in memory of the harvest. Elders and clan leaders carry bowls of kpokpoi and walk through the town, sprinkling the food at family home entryways and public places to share the blessing of abundance. Amid drumming, singing, and dancing, they “hoot at hunger” by joyfully flinging the food, a symbolic gesture that says hunger has been defeated. The celebrations wind down on Sunday with Ngoorwala (meaning “having life”), a day for reconciliation and blessings when people visit friends and family to “wish each other ‘long life.’” states Nii Kwardey Ntreh.

These customs may vary slightly among Ga communities. For instance, the La and Teshie people use the festival as an occasion for Kpa Shimo, a playful “naming and shaming” in satirical songs. At the same time, Nungua residents observe Obeneshimor, a ritual recalling their ancestors’ migration from Benin. Yet across all Ga towns, Homowo’s core remains the same: honouring ancestors, giving thanks for food, and uniting families in festivity and song.

Even thousands of miles from Accra, the Ga-Dangme diaspora continues to hoot at hunger every year with intention. In Toronto, Canada home to a vibrant Ga-Dangme community, Homowo has become a much-anticipated fixture of the cultural calendar. The Ga-Adangbe Association of Toronto (GADAT) organizes an annual two-part Homowo celebration: a lively Homowo at the Park festival under summer skies, followed by a grand Homowo Dinner & Dance gala indoors. At the park, one can feel the spirit of unity, observe the traditional practices, and dance to the sounds of live drumming and DJing. A larger percentage of the community dressed up in red to commemorate all those who died during the ‘Hunger.’ The air fills with the laughter of children and the aroma of charred corn, spiced barbequed meats and fried toogbei (also known as bofrot or puff puff).

Most importantly, the diaspora Homowo retains the festival’s sacred rituals. “In Ghana, different groups celebrate Homowo at different times,” explains Nii Kwei Arku V (affectionately known as Papa James), the Ga Mantse of Toronto, but abroad Ga people “perform rituals to include all Ga-Dangme clans and merge them into one celebration.” In other words, rather than separate Homowo observances for each clan or town, the Toronto Ga community comes together for one unified festival where everyone’s traditions are represented. Careful to make sure the core customs, food, music, and prayers are considerably preserved. At 2024’s Homowo in Toronto, the community’s traditional leaders performed the customary rites and proceeded to sprinkle kpokpoi on the ground, just as their counterparts do in Accra. Papa James has also likened Homowo to Thanksgiving, noting that in Ghana on Homowo Thursday, Ga families return to their ancestral homes bearing gifts such as firewood, livestock and palm nuts. “It’s similar to Thanksgiving,” he says, a time when such “celebrations keep the family together and traditions strong for the children and all.” That same spirit of reunion is alive in Toronto’s Homowo: relatives and friends from across Canada and the U.S. fly in, community members who haven’t seen each other in years embrace, and new generations get a chance to experience the culture of their ancestors firsthand.

For me, Homowo has always held a sacred place in my heart. I grew up in Toronto hearing the story of our ancestors overcoming hunger, and each summer my family made sure we experienced Homowo’s joy in our adopted home. As a child, I remember the excitement of walking into the Driftwood Community Centre in North York for the Homowo Dinner and Dance celebration. I knew it would be a fun-filled evening abundant with cultural dishes and delicacies, plus an opportunity to reunite and play with cousins, and to make new friends and memories. Another fond Homowo memory of mine is performing kpanlogo as a child. Alongside other children, all of us dressed in kente cloth danced to the sounds of drums pulsating, moving instinctively to the beat while being showered with money from our community. Later, when the venue moved to the Humberwood Community Centre in Etobicoke, the celebrations only grew larger. The buffet-style dinner was always mouth-watering, but the ceremonial kpokpoi and palm nut soup were my personal favourites as kpokpoi was not something we ate outside of Homowo. The aroma of smoked fish and toasted cornmeal floating through the air is a memory I can summon as if it were yesterday. As kids, we would race around, socialize, dance and have a miniature party within the grander festivities. Sounds of highlife music mixed with Ga folk songs blared joyously from the speakers, and the moment they played the handful of black urban songs I would get excited to get on the floor and show my dance moves. Homowo in Toronto wasn’t just a cultural event on the calendar; it was the highlight of my childhood summers and a living lesson in who I was and where my family came from.

The Homowo festival continues to serve as a vital bridge between generations. In a world where younger Ga descendants might feel far removed from their roots, Homowo offers a chance to connect deeply with their heritage. As Papa James mentioned, “Through the togetherness of the elder generation working with the younger generation,” traditions and customs can be passed down, from grand celebrations like Homowo to intimate practices like baby-naming ceremonies. Community organizations play a key role in this transmission. GADAT has even created a youth wing called GADAT Next Gen to actively involve Ga-Dangme-Canadian youth in cultural activities, leadership, and learning. Papa James’s message to the diaspora youth is one of pride and participation: he reminds young Ga people that “we are special people and our culture is unique… If they join associations like GADAT and GADAT Next Gen, they will get a clearer understanding of who they are and where they come from so that our heritage will not be lost.” Piece by piece, the language, music and values of the Ga-Dangme people are being sown in new soil here in Canada, taking root in upcoming generations. And as long as our youth continue to shout “Homowo!” with laughter and pride, this beautiful festival will continue to thrive.

As we look ahead, the spirit of Homowo invites everyone, young and old, Ga and non-Ga friends alike, to come together in celebration. To our readers in the Greater Toronto Area: you are warmly invited to experience Homowo with us this summer. Mark your calendars for Homowo at the Park on August 3, 2025, and the Homowo Dinner & Dance on August 16, 2025. Taste the kpokpoi, enjoy the musical vibes, and feel the embrace of our Ga-Dangme family. Bring your children, bring your curiosity, and join us in “hooting at hunger” once more remembering our past, rejoicing in our present, and fortifying our future. Afii oo afii! Celebrate Homowo 2025, and be part of a tradition that lives on with love and laughter.