Have you ever wondered how Christmas is celebrated around the world? Let’s explore different Christmas traditions together. The first stop on Santa’s explorative tour is Ghana.
GHANAIAN FOOD THAT YOU DONT KNOW ABOUT | MUST TRY GHANAIAN FOOD THIS CHRISTMAS 🇬🇭🇳🇬
People all over Ghana speak over 66 different languages, and differences in language often come along with, you guessed it, different traditions. There are even differing traditions all throughout the country. In this article, we’re giving you the broad strokes of what Christmas looks like for many people.
Have you ever wondered how Santa managed to make so many stops at Christmas? Much of that is due to reindeer magic, but the fact that people in Ghana celebrate Christmas from December 20th to the first week in January also helps!
One of the reasons the celebrations last for such a long time in Ghana is that the Christmas period directly intersects with the end-of-year cocoa harvest. You may even consider the cocoa harvest the official kick-off to the sparkling season. Ghana is the world's second biggest cocoa producer. There’s a whole lot of celebrating to be done this time of the year.
Ghana is a multilingual country with over eighty languages spoken. Saying Merry Christmas in Ghana can be a little bit complicated. Merry Christmas in Dagbani is 'Ni ti Burunya Chou', in Akan it's 'Afishapa', in Ashanti/Asante/Asante Twi it's 'afehyia pa', in Ewe it's 'Blunya na wo' and in Hausa it's 'barka dà Kirsìmatì'. During the festive season, people in Ghana often say “Afishapa” to one another.
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Ghana is a vast country, and many people spend the festive period visiting friends and family. You may think that most people try to visit their family during the Christmas period. Still, Christmas in Ghana takes this to another level, with many people spending hours waiting to board buses to their destinations. The fact that the official festive period lasts a little longer means there’s a little less chaos.
Christmas festivities in Ghana begin on 20 December and last until the first week of January. People in Ghana celebrate Christmas from the 20th of December to the first week in January with lots of different activities. Many people travel to visit their relatives and friends in other parts of the country. December is also the start of the cocoa harvest (the bean that makes chocolate) in Ghana.
Christmas Eve Traditions
Despite the official period of Christmas in Ghana being a little longer than in many other places on Earth, Christmas Eve is still a remarkable time with its unique traditions. On Christmas Eve, you can spot an outdoor parade, led by local musicians, in many of Ghana’s bigger cities. Our favorite Christmas Eve tradition we’ve is the Ghanaian parade. This iconic street carnival celebrates the best of Ghanian culture with people dressed in masks, marching through the street while dancing and playing brass band music.
Christmas Eve night is the time when the celebrations really start with Church services that have drumming and dancing. Children often put on a Nativity Play or other drama. Then choirs come out to sing and people come out in front of the priests to dance. Songs are mostly sung in the languages that the people understand best. This makes them feel that God speaks their language. Sometimes these services and dancing go on all night long! Other people celebrate Christmas Eve with fireworks and parties.
Christmas Day Celebrations
Christmas in Ghana is a very holy occasion, especially Christmas Day. There are church services all over the country. People will be attending in their best clothing. On Christmas Day the Churches are very full. People come out dressed in their colorful traditional clothes. After church, these Ghanaian people get together with their families to eat a traditional Christmas meal.
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During the Christmas period, children's parties, employees' end of year parties, etc. Some Ghanaians also go to Church on the 31st December to thank God for sending Jesus, who Christians believe is the son of God, and to pray for a good and safe New Year.
Papa Bronya: The Ghanaian Father Christmas
Father Christmas is well-known by children across the world. Ghanaian children know Father Christmas, or Papa Bronya, as someone who wears sandals and a beautiful red robe trimmed with gold. He comes dressed in a red robe trimmed with gold accents and befitting for the West African weather; he wears sandals! Just like Santa Claus, he knows whether you’ve been naughty or nice, and he’s ready to hand out presents. Another difference is Father Christmas’s gifts.
Do you know what’s missing? Christmas trees aren’t a common sight in homes in Ghana. They don’t go with the climate. You will usually only find decorated trees at large hotels or shopping malls. Decorated trees tend to be reserved for shopping malls and hotel lobbies. You might also spot a community tree in the centre of the town. Sometimes you’ll spy a Christmas tree in the town center decorated with paper ornaments made by the local children in school.
Ghanaian Food Culture and Christmas Feasts
Christmas in Ghana is a huge festivity that brings family, both nuclear and extended, together to bond over tasty meals. Cooking and eating together are hallmarks of Ghanaian food culture during the Christmas season. Christmas foods in Ghana are as culturally diverse as the people, thus one Christmas food in one part of Ghana is completely different from the dish in another region. In contrast to our country, there is no roast, only stews and rice. As every parent would say, “now you kids enjoy rice at any given time and have the luxury of purchasing whatever beverage of your choice by yourself, so you don’t know what Christmas really means”. However hearing these stories always gave a sense of belonging and pride that I am fortunate enough to have this luxury.
Traditional Ghanaian dishes are not light in flavor. The meals we enjoyed were made with seasonings and spices such as anise, thyme, clove, turmeric, bay leaves, cumin, and calabash nutmeg. They are cooked in a heavy, fatty, oil-rich sauce. Traditionally, at Christmas in Ghana a stew is prepared with goat or chicken meat. Rice and fruits are served with it. They are typically prepared in a pot rather than a pan. As a result, food is cooked for a longer period of time rather than fried for a short period of time. This is related to the previously mentioned food preservation.
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The main dishes of Ghanaian cuisine are centered around starchy staple foods, accompanied by either a sauce or soup and a source of protein. The primary ingredients for the vast majority of soups and stews are tomatoes, hot peppers, onions, and some local species. The typical staple foods in the southern part of Ghana include cassava and plantain. In the north, the main staple foods include millet and sorghum. Yam, maize, and beans are eaten across Ghana, and sweet potatoes and cocoyam are important vegetables in Ghanaian cuisine.
Here are some popular Ghanaian Christmas foods:
- Rice and Tomato Sauce: The most popular meal enjoyed during yuletide. The rice is simply boiled for a while till it becomes soft, but the sauce is not so straightforward. First, the chicken is cut and steamed in a mixture of blended onions, garlic, and ginger. The sauce is then prepared by frying fresh blended tomatoes until it thickens after which the chicken and its stock are added.
- Jollof Rice: This delectable West African dish has been the subject of many friendly ‘wars’ between three West African nations, including Ghana, over which of them prepares the best version. Its preparation requires a lot of attention or the rice will burn and ruin the Christmas dinner.
- Nigerian Fried Rice: Here, the rice is first boiled and later stir-fried with vegetables such as cabbage, green sweet peppers, carrots, and onions. Soy sauce is occasionally added to give the rice a darker color and to make the meal tastier.
- Fufu: Aside from rice and its various versions, Ghanaians love their fufu with tomato soup, popularly referred to as light soup, and chicken or goat. Are you wondering what fufu is? Fufu is a dish made from pounded cassava and plantains, yam and plantain, or cocoyam/taro. Fufu, also known as foofoo or foufou, is a west African side dish made from yuca. Making yuca into fufu creates a smooth, elastic, dough-like consistency. In the south, cassava and mostly plantain (a banana-like fruit) or cocoyam are used to prepare fufu, while northerners prefer to use yam. However, the method of preparation is the same as the ingredients (cassava, yam, plantain, etc) are boiled and later pounded into a dough. In the north, the yam fufu is eaten with peanut butter soup due to the abundance of peanuts in the region.
- Banku: Banku is another starchy food made by mixing corn dough with cassava dough and stirring the mixture over heat till it becomes solid. It is less expensive to prepare, compared to rice or fufu dishes, but has a spicy taste that can set the tongue on fire.
Here are some tasty rice dishes that are popular during the Christmas season:
- Jollof Rice (Oven Baked). Easy, flavorful and perfectly cooked Jollof Rice made completely in the in the oven with only 5 minutes prep time - no blending or stirring involve. If you want stove top check out this traditional version.
- Nigerian Fried Rice. Whether as Christmas breakfast or dinner, this Nigerian Fried Rice is so perfect to feed a crowd. It’s so easy to whip up and everyone would love it, even the picky eaters.
Here are some stews that are commonly served during Christmas in Ghana:
- Chicken Stew. Yes, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without Chicken stew and for me, only organic chicken from the farm would make the cut. Heavily seasoned with aromatics right down to the bone. So good you want to save the bones to nibble on.
- Curried Goat Stew. Gatherings and parties woulds always call for these tender, spicy but not overly hot Curried Goat Stew. There are so many ways to prepare goat meat, however, slow and long is the best way to bring out its full flavor and make it tender. In this recipe the goat meat is slowly cooked for about 1-2 hours, then fried with curry, onions, garlic, ginger and other spices. Perfectly juicy, tender, with an amazing earthy and spicy flavor!
- Liberian Chicken Gravy. This variation of stew here is what any stew lovers would dream of. It is loaded with chicken, fish and shrimp - the more proteins, the better, right? However, the bell pepper in this recipe makes all the difference, adding yet another layer of flavor. The fragrant combination of garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes and herbs is a classic African stew combination that is a must on every Christmas table. You seriously need to make this!
If fish is on the menu then look no further. Everyone is going to want seconds after they get a bite of this African Grill Tilapia.
Here are some popular Ghanaian drinks during Christmas:
- Bissap: This blood-red spicy drink is popular in the major cities in Ghana, especially during the dry season (Christmas falls in the dry season). The beverage is brewed from hibiscus leaves and infused with ginger and pineapple to add a little bit of sweetness and spice.
- Palm Wine: Palm wine is popular in the south and coastal areas of Ghana due to the abundance of palm trees in the region. Though many prefer it fresh, others allow it to ferment so they can enjoy its alcoholic content.
- Pito: Pito is to northern Ghana what palm wine is to the south. This is because the north is rich in sorghum and millet - the primary constituents of the beverage. Pito has a sweet flavor when brewed fresh but can become sharp when allowed to ferment.
- Cocoa Drink: This refreshing drink is made from the powder of cocoa and is loved by children during Christmas. Also known as cocoa drink, it is mostly sweetened with sugar and milk.
- Brukina: Brukina is a smoothie made from millet and dense milk. It is mostly eaten as a meal as one can be full with just 5ml! Brukina is popular in the southern part of Ghana and consumed throughout the whole year.
Here are some popular Ghanaian snacks during Christmas:
- Chips: This is the Ghanaian version of french fries made from wheat flour instead of potatoes. They are prepared by mixing the flour with butter and other ingredients of choice and deep-frying them. Some people package the fries, popularly referred to as chips in Ghana, as a gift for their friends and family.
- Plantain Chips: A very popular delicacy, plantain chips is prepared by slicing, salting, and frying plantain, a tropical fruit popular across West Africa. It comes in two varieties: unripe and ripe plantain.
- Meat Pie: Meat pie is a pastry filled with minced meat, onions, and green bell pepper. It goes perfectly with any of the local drinks described above. First, the flour is mixed with butter, yeast, and a small amount of water and made into a dough. The dough is then filled with minced meat and vegetables and then the pastry is baked in the oven till it turns golden brown or becomes flaky.
Here are some desserts that are commonly served during Christmas in Ghana:
- Malva Pudding. A decadent traditional South African dessert that you just have to try! Rich, Moist, Chocolaty and Oh so easy!
- Rum Cake With Rum Butter Sauce. Rum reminds a lot of people of the holidays and holidays also means baking. This buttery and dense cake would make you leap for joy most especially when you soak it with some warm rum butter sauce.
- Christmas Chin Chin. It’s crispy, crunchy and addictive.
- Puff Puff (Deep fried dough). A very popular West African street food that’s quick and easy to make with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addicting!
In Ghana, the Christmas period lasts for about a week - 24th to 31st December and these foods are enjoyed on different days of the Christmas week. Some people to prepare and share these foods with friends and neighbors as a sign of goodwill, while others invite friends and relatives over for the yuletide.
The period of festivity is all about spreading love, joy, and the celebration of life.
| Tradition | Description |
|---|---|
| Celebration Period | December 20th to the first week in January |
| Christmas Eve | Ghanaian parade, church services with drumming and dancing |
| Christmas Day | Church services with colorful traditional clothing, family meals |
| Father Christmas | Papa Bronya, wears sandals and a red robe trimmed with gold |
| Common Foods | Rice and tomato sauce, Jollof Rice, Fufu, Bissap, Plantain Chips |
Here at House of Kringle, we love teaching you about Christmas traditions from all over the world. We hope you enjoyed this little foray into what Christmas in Ghana is like. Santa and his elves would love to hear what your favorite Ghanian Christmas tradition is in the comments below.
