Next: about 1 to 7 Oct 2027
Odwira
The Akan festival of purification and thanksgiving, with a cleansing of stools and a durbar of chiefs, strongest at Akropong.
When is Odwira in 2027?
Odwira 2027 runs from 1 to 7 October 2027. The date follows the moon or a local calendar, so it can move by a day. Other years: 2026, 1 to 7 October 2026; 2028, 1 to 7 October 2028.
About Odwira
The Odwira festival is held each autumn by the Akan people, especially in Akropong-Akuapem, where it is a ten-day celebration of the harvest, of cleansing and of unity. The name comes from the word for purification. At the heart of the festival, the stools of the ancestors, the symbol of a chief's authority, are cleaned and blessed by priests. The people enjoy the first fruits, particularly new yam, and a ritual feeding of the ancestors. A durbar is held, in which chiefs in kente cloth and gold ornaments arrive in procession, with the sound of the horns, drums and the firing of muskets, and are carried in palanquins under large umbrellas. People wear mourning cloth at the start and bright cloth for the end. The dates differ by town.
Odwira dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Odwira date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 to 7 October 2026 |
| 2027 | 1 to 7 October 2027 |
| 2028 | 1 to 7 October 2028 |
This date follows the moon or a local calendar and can move by a day, so check with a local source nearer the time.
What is eaten
- eto
- fufu
- palm wine
Also part of it, and being written: Akan people (The people of the festival.), Stool (The sacred seat of authority.), Akropong (The town of the main festival.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Odwira" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.