Kundum Festival, the thanksgiving festival is one of the many festivals celebrated annually by the people of Ghana based on their cultural and historical settings.
Every ethnic group in Ghana has that special festival that they celebrate for a unique reason annually and Kundum is the festival for the people of Ahanta and Nzema.
The Ahanta and Nzema people from the Western Region of the country are the celebrants of the Kundum Festival. The festival is celebrated to thank God for the abundance of food at the time of the harvest period in the area.
Here, we are going to discuss with you the history of the Kundum Festival; how the festival came about, the dance of the festival as well as why the people celebrate it each year.
History of Kundum Festival
The existence of history of the Kundum Festival became known worldwide through Bosman, a Dutch tourist who visited the then Gold Coast to observe festivals back in the day.
According to legend, the festival began when a hunter named Akpoley went on a hunting expedition and chanced upon some dwarves dancing in a circle. The dance he observed and returned home and introduced it to his people.
During the festival, a ritual dance is performed by most inhabitants of Axim and surrounding towns. This dance is expected to expel evil spirits from the communities celebrating the festival.
It comes from the Nzema people and subsequently graduated to the Ahantas in the Western region of Ghana.
The celebration of the Kundum Festival lasts for four weeks. The start of the festival is based on the day the fruit of a certain palm tree becomes ripe.
During the first three weeks of the celebration, drumming and dancing activities take place mostly on the outskirts of the town at a place known as Siedu or Sienu.
The festival is both a religious and harvest festival. It is celebrated separately by all the communities that make up the Ahanta paramount area.