Christmas in Ghana

Like most Christians, Ghanaians attend the Midnight Mass and Christmas Day Mass and gather with their loved ones for a feast, but that’s where the similarities end.

Ghanian Christmas celebrations are light-hearted and relaxed. People don’t care about decorations, fancy attire, and gifts as much as about having a good time and expressing their devotion to Christ.

A lack of snow and exquisite decorations doesn’t prevent Ghanaians from feeling holiday cheer and spending Christmas with fun and laughter.

Ghanian Santa (Papa Bronya)

Santa Claus in Ghana is known as Papa Bronya and is slightly more slender and younger than American Santa. He doesn’t ride a sleigh pulled by reindeer because the African climate is too hot for these creatures.

Ghanian Santa Claus wears sandals and a red suit trimmed with gold rather than white fur. Even Santa’s magic can’t help him withstand African heat in a warm jacket.

Despite the distinctions, like American Santa Claus, Ghanian Santa is based on the historical figure of Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from Myra, located on the territory of modern-day Turkey.

The word of Saint Nicholas’ good deeds was likely brought to Ghana by European colonists in the 16th-17th centuries, although we don’t know for sure when locals made Saint Nick the main Christmas gift-giver.

Since Ghanaians don’t have fireplaces, local kids don’t hang stockings for Santa’s gifts but expect to find them under the Christmas tree (if there is one). Papa Bronya typically gives children treats rather than toys.

It’s important to note that not all children in Ghana believe in Papa Bronya. Many kids don’t associate Christmas with any gifts or know that treats are bought by their parents.

Christmas Food in Ghana

Many Ghanian families live below the poverty line, but the Christmas feast is always abundant. People save money to buy the best food available in local grocery stores.

Forget about Christmas dinner – Ghanaians eat all day long. Eating four to five meals a day with treats in between isn’t uncommon in Ghana.

There’s no particular Christmas food in Ghana, though. Locals cook whatever they can afford and enjoy the most. A traditional Ghanaian dish favored by most locals is Jollof rice, soaked in tomato sauce and served with fish or meat.

Waakye is another popular Ghanaian dish, a medley of rice and beans served with plantain, grated cassava, or spaghetti on the side.

Tilapia fish is considered a delicacy by Ghanaians, typically fried whole and served with banku, a mix of cassava dough, hot pepper, diced tomatoes, and onions.

Red-red is a delicious vegetarian dish that often appears at the Ghanaian Christmas feast, made from cowpea beans with fried plantains and palm oil.

Fufu, a staple food across entire Africa, is a must-try for Ghana visitors and an all-time favorite of locals. It’s made from boiled cassava with plantains pounded into a sticky paste and served with aromatic tomato and goat meat soup.

Ghanaian cuisine is based on rice, so Omo Tuo rice balls are served with almost any dish. For dessert, Ghanaians prefer peanut brittle, made with roasted peanuts (obviously) and sugar. There are only two ingredients, but the dessert is absolutely delicious.

Many locals make condensed milk toffee – all you need for this dessert is condensed milk and butter. The mixture can be topped with nuts or dried fruit.

Ripe plantain cake and pancakes with syrup or honey make the perfect Christmas Day breakfast. Ghanaians don’t drink eggnog or mulled wine for Christmas but a chilled ginger drink Lamugin, palm wine, traditional beer Pito, or Asaana, caramelized corn milk beverage.

Braai

Ghanaians don’t have a formal Christmas dinner as Americans or Europeans do. Instead, they typically have a Braai – that’s an African word for barbecue. Braai is always informal, and hosts welcome all friends, family, and neighbors to join.

African Braai isn’t much different from backyard barbecue in the U.S. – people gather to grill fish, meat, and veggies, drink beer, chat, and play games. Being the Braai Master is an important duty, and Ghanaians don’t take it lightly.

Traditional Braai is cooked on local wood rather than coal or gas to give food a distinct woody flavor. Experienced Braai Masters carefully choose the wood variety for Christmas lunch.

A good Braai always has a wide selection of meat – beef, pork, goat, boar; you name it. Braai etiquette is simple – don’t intervene in the grilling process, don’t wear anything too fancy, and have fun.

Thankfully, African weather allows spending the entire Christmas Day outdoors without fearing rain or strong wind. People dance and sing, and kids play football or other outdoor active games.

Midnight Mass

Christmas in African countries isn’t as commercialized as in the Northern Hemisphere, so attending the Midnight Mass is a must for every Ghanaian – after all, celebrating the birth of Christ is the entire purpose of the holiday.

On Christmas Eve, people wear their best garments and head to the local church to listen to hymns, live music, and biblical readings. Overall, Midnight Mass in Ghana isn’t any different from Midnight Mass anywhere else in the world, except for traditional music.

Often, local children stage a nativity play depicting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, Jesus’ birth, and the story of the Three Wise Men. After the church service, people dance to the sound of drums and head home to celebrate with family.

On Christmas Day morning, people put on their colorful traditional attires again and go to another church service, after which they gather for a Braai.

Gift Exchange Traditions

Gift exchange isn’t at the center of Christmas celebrations in Ghana. Most locals don’t earn much, so they either only get gifts for children or give handmade presents.

Ghanaians believe that thought is more important than the gift itself. If they invite someone for Christmas dinner, they don’t expect to get a gift, but if the person decides to bring one, the hosts are always delighted.

Even the smallest gift in Ghana must be nicely wrapped – that’s the etiquette. Whether one gifts candy or handmade Christmas tree ornament, a wrap is a must to show that they’ve put in the thought.

Christmas Decorations in Ghana

When we hear “Christmas decorations,” the first things that come to mind are Christmas trees adorned with baubles, snowflakes, snowmen, and reindeer. However, Ghana has none of it. December is a summer month in Ghana, so such decorations would seem odd.

Furthermore, Ghana is a poor country, although its economy is among the most rapidly developing in Africa. Many locals simply can’t afford Christmas decorations like those seen in the U.S. and Europe.

For this reason, locals would rather spend money on Christmas food than gifts and decorations. After all, the festive spirit isn’t about material goods – it’s about the cheer and kindness in our hearts.

Still, some locals do their best to make the Christmas season special, crafting decorations from any available materials. Wealthier families decorate faux Christmas trees because evergreens aren’t native to the region.

Large decorated Christmas trees can be only found in shopping malls, hotels, and town centers, typically adorned with paper ornaments kids make in schools.

In contrast, nativity scenes are a must in every Ghanian home. People make them themselves from wood or other materials they can find. Children often make nativity scenes in schools before going on Christmas holidays.

Christmas Carols & Parades

Africans love music, so carols are integral to Ghanaian Christmas celebrations. Ghanaians don’t sing Jingle Bells and Silent Night but local songs that better fit their cultural peculiarities and reflect African Christmas traditions.

Every year from December 24 to December 26, the Ankos festival takes place in the Takoradi region of Ghana. People dress in colorful outfits with handmade masks, play music, and dance.

Masquerade groups march the town streets, sharing the festive spirit with everyone witnessing that vibrant show of life. People in the Winneba region host the Kakamotobi festival from December 25 to January 1.

The festival is similar to the Ankos parade – people dress up to sing and dance, marching the streets. This unique Ghanaian Christmas custom originated in the 19th century when Dutch and British traders celebrated Christmas by dancing and drinking in assorted masks.

The locals then adopted the tradition, but their attires were initially meant to parody the Europeans, mimicking pastors, fishermen, and even colonial masters. Over time, the costumes changed to colorful traditional attires.

Boxing Day in Ghana

December 26 in many countries is known as Boxing Day, including Ghana. The day acquired its name because of Queen Victoria of England, who used to box gifts to the poor after Christmas celebrations.

In the U.S. and Europe, many people spend December 26 shopping at Boxing Day sales, but not in Ghana. Ghanaians use their extra time off to meet with friends and family, perhaps hosting another Braai, playing football, or getting outdoors to explore local nature.