Ghanaian Culture
General
Customary leaders (chiefs) have historical authority over tribal and family matters, and customary lands. Child naming, puberty initiations, marriage and death are marked by family ceremonies. Seasonal festivals bring a whole people or clan together in spectacular fashion.
Ethnicity
Due to progressive government policies over the decades, the divisive tribal tendencies of other West African countries have not occurred in Ghana.
Religion
A common feature of ancestral religions is the belief in the Supreme Being, in life after death, and in the nearness of ancestors. Festivals commemorate past events, and consecrate a new season with confidence and hope.
Traditional fetish shrines, sometimes concealed but more often displayed, are important centres of worship and traditional healing, and an influential part of traditional life.
Language
Festivals
These festivals are not on a fixed date but generally occur on the first or the last Saturday of a given month. The Ghana Tourist Board is a good source of information about these festivals.
Traditional Arts
For centuries, Ghanaian people have pursued traditional forms of pottery, Kente cloth weaving, wood carving, gold smithing, basket weaving, drum making, and bead production. These rich cultural traditions are evident in many different parts of the country, though specific places are accepted centres of various production techniques.
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