Participants at this year’s Ga Twins Festival have rejected longstanding misconceptions surrounding the annual celebration, insisting that the traditional rites performed during the event are part of Ga cultural heritage and should not be dismissed as “fetish” practices.

The festival brings together twins and their families from communities across the Greater Accra Region to celebrate their heritage, perform traditional rites and strengthen family and communal bonds.

Speaking about misconceptions surrounding the festival, one of the participants said the practices should be understood within their cultural context rather than being associated with demonic or fetish beliefs.

“If anyone tells you it is fetish, the person is lying. We are practising our tradition,” the participant said.

“It is similar to going to your home every time for celebrations. We have simply gone back to our past, and we are returning to our roots,” the participant added.

The participant said the celebration provides an opportunity for families to reconnect with their cultural heritage and preserve traditions passed down through generations.

Cultural heritage

The Ga Twins Festival, known in some Ga traditions as Akweley Suma, forms part of the broader Homowo celebrations in Accra.

Within Ga traditional belief, twins hold a special place in the community and are associated with specific rites and customs observed during the celebration.

These may include cleansing rites, prayers and communal gatherings, which participants say are intended to uphold tradition and seek blessings for twins and their families.

However, some of these traditional practices have over the years been viewed through a religious or modern lens, with critics describing them as fetishism.

Participants and organisers of the festival are therefore calling for greater understanding of Ga customs and traditions, arguing that cultural practices should be appreciated within their historical and traditional context.

They maintain that the festival is an important part of Ga cultural identity and provides an avenue for younger generations to learn about and preserve their heritage.