Along the Gulf of Guinea lies the beautiful West African country of Ghana. The Ghanaian culture and traditions are rich and vibrant. Keep reading to learn more about Ghana and the incredible people that call the country home.
What are the Ghanaian People Like?
The people of Ghana are warm and friendly. They are polite, open and trusting — even with strangers. In Ghanaian society, it is traditional to take life at a relaxed pace and view time as a series of events rather than a matter of hours or minutes.
Most Ghanaians consider “let’s get to business” conversations rude. It is custom for Ghanaians to exchange pleasantries and ask about family before beginning business.
They greet one another, making an extra effort to greet older people. With the men, handshakes almost always accompany greetings.
What is Ghanaian Culture Like?
Like most other African nations, Ghana has rich, traditional cultures that differ from one ethnic group to another. Ghana’s 24 million people include six major ethnic groups that break into more than 60 smaller ones. The six larger ethnic groups are the:
- Akan (Ashanti and Fanti)
- Ewe
- Ga-Adangbe
- Mole-Dagbani
- Guan
- Gruma
Until its independence, Ghana was known as the Gold Coast. It was renamed Ghana, meaning “Warrior King,” to reflect the ancient Ghana Empire that flourished in West Africa during the 10th century.
Today, the Ghanaian government is a unitary republic consisting of a president, parliament, cabinet, council of state and an independent judiciary. It is tradition to hold elections every four years.
The government administration operates out of the central business district of Accra, the country’s capital city. As the country’s largest city, Accra has a population of roughly 2.4 million.
Ghana is a Land of Festivals, Music and Traditional Dances
It is custom for most communities, clans and tribes to have annual celebrations.
There are three main types of music in Ghana. Ethnic, or traditional, music is usually played during festivals and funerals. Highlife music blends traditional and imported music. Choral music is performed in concert halls, churches, schools and colleges.
Children registered at some of the Compassion-assisted child development centers in Ghana have formed choirs. One such choir is the Kasoa Cluster Mass Choir.
It is a tradition for children at our child development centers to welcome visitors and sponsors with elaborate drumming and dancing. This is an expression of appreciation and Ghanaian hospitality and culture.
Along with taking Ghana culture and traditions seriously, Ghanaians easily understand and adopt other cultures and practices. This makes Ghana a comfortable society for everyone to live in and an easy African country for outsiders to visit.
What Do the Ghanaian People Value?
Ghanaians emphasize values such as the importance of family, respect for the elderly and honor for traditional rulers.
The people of Ghana also place high value on dignity and proper social conduct. Individual conduct is seen as having impact an on an entire family, social group and community. Therefore, each person is expected to be respectful, dignified and observant in nearly every aspect of life.
An entire family shares any loss of honor, which makes the Ghanaian culture a collective one. Protecting this sense of “face” requires harmony. Ghanaian people are proper and polite, ensuring they don’t cause embarrassment to others.
Ghanaians also value a sense of community, sharing everything, no matter how small the amount. This includes food and other resources.
If a Ghanaian gets interrupted while eating, he invites that person to join him. Depending on the level of familiarity, the person may wash his hands and join in. If the relationship is casual, it is tradition for the other person to politely decline.
How Do You Say “Good Morning” in Ghanaian Culture?
Along with different ethnic groups and cultures, 52 separate languages and hundreds of dialects are spoken in Ghana. However, the official language is English.
Among the common greetings and responses in Ghana are:
- Maakye. Good morning.
- Maaha. Good afternoon.
- Maadwo. Good evening.
- Wohu te sen? How are you?
- Onyame na adom me hu ye. By the grace of God, I am fine.
- Me daase. Thank you.
- Kusee. Sorry.
- Me paa wo kyeo (“ky” sounds “ch” as it would sound in “chain”). Please.
When talking to an older person, a Ghanaian must not gesture with the left hand. In fact, anything done with the left hand is considered rude.
Nevertheless, some people write or do things with the left hand because that hand is stronger than the right. It is traditional to never use the left hand to eat or gesture, however.
The people of Ghana are indirect communicators. They take care not to relay information in any way that could cause issues. This includes delivering bad news, turning down an invitation or refusing a request.
Ghanaians aim to maintain harmonious relationships throughout society.
Learn more about Ghana and our work there!
Help Us Support Ghanaian Children Living in Poverty
While Ghana has many beautiful traditions, it is also home to children experiencing the challenges of extreme poverty.
Many children don’t have access to basic living essentials such as clean water, nutritious food, education and medical care. However, through child sponsorship, you can help us deliver the necessities these children need to thrive and escape the grip of poverty.
You can deliver critical love, hope and care to a child in need. Sponsor a child today!
