Stories and facts

The Apoo Festival is an annual celebration in Techiman and Wenchi, western Ghana, typically held over a week in March and April. It aims to purify participants of social evils, unite families, and strengthen community bonds through traditional cultural activities. The term "apoo" means "to reject" evil and social menaces.

The festival is crucial for the Bono people, featuring rich cultural expressions and historical recountings often directed at the Ashanti, who historically conquered the Bono Empire. It originated during Nana Kwakye Ameyaw's reign as a way for people to express themselves freely, guided by local gods.

Participants exchange insults, proverbs, and songs during the procession. The festival includes rituals like 'Nnusin-tuo' to destroy evil charms and 'Hyereko' for collecting white clay. The celebrations involve a grand procession, visits to ancestral graves, lavish food and entertainment, and dancing by priests and priestesses.

The festival ends with a riverside ritual where water mixed with white clay and adwera leaves is sprinkled on shrines and people, marking purification and closure. Overall, the Apoo Festival promotes accountability, reconciliation, and cultural preservation, while fostering community unity and economic benefits through tourism and local gatherings.

Explore below other festivals celebrated in Ghana.