Ghana: A packed fun-filled Easter on mountains of Kwahu

In Ghana, Easter has become synonymous with Paragliding, aside the Christian ceremonies of commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The festival begins on Good Friday to Easter Sunday on the Odwenanoma Mountain in the Eastern region.

For 11 years in a row, all roads lead to the Kwahu Ridge as foreigners and locals glide down the mountain over looking the Nkwakwa township.

In the round up to the 3-day festival, things get very busy in the town. On radio, Television and on social media, events line up are hyped under the tag line: Kwahu ooo Kwahu ooo

There is the usual traffic jams that happens annually, hotels are booked months ahead of time, restaurants and taxi drivers wait in anticipation of the surge in profit for that weekend.

The paragliders are mostly foreigners, but tourism officials have intensified efforts to train locals to take over. 15 paragliders including a 34 year old Ghanaian, Jonathan Quaye, flew holiday revelers this year.

Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival begins amidst tight security https://t.co/N6W0VgsFVP #Kwahu #happyeaster pic.twitter.com/hLFkLgfAzd

— tv3newsghana (@newsontv3) March 25, 2016

Why Kwahu?

Easter has been a homecoming period for the people of Kwahu.

The Kwahu or Okwahu are Twi speaking people, a dialect of the Akan language, situated in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

They are predominantly farmers but have over the years ventured into businesses and have become big wigs in major commercial towns all over the country.

The natives used the occasion to go back home to family not only for merry making but also to brainstorm on development of the town and resolve disputes that had risen during their absence.

For several years the festivities received a lot media attention with side attractions including live music shows and street jams.

The Ministry for Tourism and the Ghana Toursim Authority took advantage of this since 2005, adding paragliding, hiking and a street carnival.

#Okwawuparagliding The Cultural Group entertaining patrons here at Atibie johndumelo1 Citi973 lexisbill pic.twitter.com/qjWAYkOCxg

— Destination Ghana (ghanatourismGTA) March 25, 2016

source: Destination Ghana### To fly not or not to fly

The first event held in 2005, which saw low patronage by Ghanaians, the reasons being that the sport was relatively new to many, the cost of flying was seen as too much for such adventure and there was the case of interesting beliefs. > You want to test your family witches? Go to kwahu and take part in the paragliding. If u complete two sessions, u r safe.

— ÅFÂRÏ (@kay_world1) March 25, 2016

Local patronage has drastically improved over the years from none in 2005. In 2015, for instance out of a total of 212 flights, 40 Ghanaians took part, Germans 55, Americans 36 and Japanese 12.

The 11th edition attracted an estimated 10,000 people. Security was tightened in the wake of reports of a possible terrorist attacks, coming on the backs of the attacks at Grand Bassam in neighbouring Ivory Coast and at the Radisson Hotel Hotel In Burkina Faso.

So if your were in Ghana and you managed to miss the Kwahu activities, then you did not celebrate Easter.