Thankful for Printmaking
We all know the history of Thanksgiving the food, the historical events, and the celebration but do know about Homowo?
Last weekend the SDCC team up with Ashely Jordon from The Coloring Boxx to lead a workshop which took a deeper look into Homowo, an annual Festival celebrated by the Ga people of Ghana. Community members of all ages explored the history of printing making, which introduced the class to Adinkra, symbols traditionally used on fabrics during celebrations, specifically, Homowo. With the foam sheet to foam board method, guests were invited to use various adinkra symbols to create individual stamping blocks and practiced printmaking on selected fabrics. And a special thanks to Deception Spirits for providing drinks for the adult class.
Here’s what we learned about Homowo:
- Homowo means to hoot at hunger. (HOMO- hunger WO- hoot)
- Homowo celebration marks the opening of fishing season. The Ga people participate in rituals, such as gift giving, home purifying, enjoying Kpoi kpoi or Kpekple, dance, and a day of remembrance.
- The tradition of Homowo started with a period of hunger leading to famine due to the failure of the seasonal rains needed by the Crops in the Greater Accra Region. The Ga people still remain in this Reg ion mostly.
- The Ga people of Ghana are a part of a large ethnic group “Akan’: The Supreme god in their religion “Nyame’:
- Homowo starts in May which is the beginning of fishing season, and sowing millet crop. Ending, in late September at harvest time.
- Kpoi Kpoi or Kpekple is a traditional pain nut soup prepared with fish.
Three Traditional Rituals:
- Gbemlilaa – Forbids drumming and music to allow time for farming.
- Nshobull mo – to calm the sea.
- Okomfemmaa – bass fishing in the lagoon until Homowo ends.
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