Kwahu is a city in the Eastern Region and has become synonymous with the celebration of Easter holidays such that the community has adopted Easter as a festival celebrated every year.
Kwahu is now known as one of the foremost cities with Easter as its main festival. To their credit, the Easter Festival which is celebrated by Ghanaians of all walks, has been “franchised” to them as a special Kwahu affair; hence the brand name – Kwahu Easter Festival.
Easter celebrations in Kwahu have become so special such that it gets all the media hype and national attention during the period.
Like all other Akan tribes, the Kwahus had a festival known as “Okwahu Afahye.”
It peaked in December and was observed from October to December. Kwahus, who were well-known for being skilled traders and making trading their primary livelihood, later experienced difficulties with the timing of the Okwahu Afahye, during which the majority of their population moved to Accra, Kumasi, and other significant Ghanaian cities.
Odweanoma mountain situated in Kwahu is “875 feet above sea level”. Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival #KwahuEaster2024 🪂🏔. pic.twitter.com/4jBYz2dx8E
— •Okwawu #AsaaseAban🏔 (@AsaaseAban_) April 1, 2024
The Kwahu Festival, which likewise peaks in December, began to lose favor as a result of the local trading calendar’s apex, which occurs in December because of Christmas celebrations.
As usual, the business-minded Kwahus avoided the festival, and rather opted for the Easter break, to attend the traditionally mandated “home-coming” events.
Oral history states that the Kwahu Traditional Council moved the celebration to Easter in order to maintain patronage, which is why the event is now known as the Kwahu Easter Festival.
It’s all about Kwahu Easter 💃💃
Odwen Anoma (Kwahu Mountain) 🏔️ is breathtaking.❤️🥰 #OnuaTV pic.twitter.com/fuAj8ZKzJN
— #OnuaTV (@OnuaTV) March 29, 2024
During this period, people from different parts of the country travel to Kwahu for the Easter celebrations while indigenes from different parts of the world return home to witness the Kwahu Easter Festival.
The festival only missed out in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Paragliding is a common event in most developed countries like Germany, Holland, Sweden, Australia, and the U.S.A. In Africa, apart from South Africa and Kenya, Ghana is the only country that organizes this event in the West Africa hub.
This is Isaac Mensah, the Ghanaian trained paragliding pilot who has been undergoing tutelage under the experienced pilots. He took his first solo flight on yesterday at Kwahu mking history.
Join us today!#kwahu2024 #kwahuParagliding #ExperienceGhana #ShareGhana #Paragliding pic.twitter.com/h4ShDUbeYh— Ghana Tourism Authority (@ghanatourismGTA) March 31, 2024
This was introduced in 2005 as part of Easter celebrations in Kwahu due to its mountains. The paragliding event has since attracted international visitors in recent times.
In addition to the paragliding event, the festivals boast of other activities like street carnival, highlife concert, health walk, and a myriad of sporting activities.
This year, the Ghana Tourism Authority invited seasoned pilots from around the world to fly hundreds of people for the paragliding event at Kwahu Atibie.
Kwahu oooo Kwahu!
Asaase aban ✌️ pic.twitter.com/GROb5jQztc
— The Asante Nation (@Ashanti_Kingdom) March 30, 2024
Easter celebrations have become a significant festival for the people of Kwahu mainly because of the income received due to the numerous entertaining activities, the many business connections like to be created etc.
If you ask me, Easter celebrations in Kwahu will forever be a major festival and will continue to stay for the many generations yet to come.