Next: 1 May 2027
Aboakyer
The deer hunt festival of the Effutu people of Winneba, with two companies racing to capture a live deer for the gods.
When is Aboakyer in 2027?
Aboakyer 2027 is on Saturday, 1 May 2027. Other years: 2026, Saturday, 2 May 2026; 2028, Saturday, 6 May 2028.
About Aboakyer
Aboakyer, the "deer hunt", is held on the first Saturday of May by the Effutu people of Winneba, in the Central Region of Ghana. Tradition holds that the ancestors, migrating from the north, promised their god Penkye Otu a human sacrifice each year in return for protection, and that the god later accepted a live animal instead. Two groups, Tuafo and Dentsefo, each run to the forest, chasing a deer without weapons that harm the animal, and the first to capture a deer unharmed and bring it to the chief wins. The deer is presented to the chief, and the town celebrates with drumming and dancing. Today the offering is a small antelope and it is released into a sanctuary or, according to local custom, sacrificed at the shrine.
Aboakyer dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Aboakyer date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday, 2 May 2026 |
| 2027 | Saturday, 1 May 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday, 6 May 2028 |
What is eaten
- kenkey
- fish
- palm soup
Also part of it, and being written: Effutu people (The people of Winneba.), Winneba (The Ghanaian coastal town.), Durbar (The procession of chiefs.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Aboakyer festival" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.