Aboakyer: A traditional festival in decline
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Date
2019-06
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Publisher
Ghana Social Science Journal
Abstract
Over the last two decades, events have assumed increased significance in
Ghana’s tourism industry as new events are added every year. Meanwhile,
centuries-old festivals such as Aboakyer, face decline even before a
systematic framework for analysing events as tourism products is
propounded. This study proposes the ‘festivals-as-products’ framework
and applies that to investigate the underlying causes of the decline of
Aboakyer and the chances of its revival, using qualitative data. Loss of
habitat, protracted chieftaincy feud and demise of the asafo institution
were the key causes. Two suggestions to stem the tide were either devising
a new mode of appeasing the gods or using reared but still hunted game
for the rituals. In either case, Aboakyer, literally, ‘animal hunt,’ loses its
excitement but there still remains a festival to be celebrated.
Description
Ghana Social Science Journal, 16(1)
Keywords
Ghana, Winneba, Traditional Festivals, Product, Decline