Edina Bronya Festival
{{Short description|Festival in Ghana by the Elmina people}}
The Edina Bronya Festival is an annual harvest festival celebrated by the chiefs and peoples of Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana. The festival is a novel Christmas during the Dutch era of the colonial period. It is usually celebrated in the first Thursday of January every year.{{Cite web|title=Festival {{!}} The Embassy of the Republic of Ghana, Berlin, Germany|url=https://ghanaemberlin.de/travel-tourism/festival/|access-date=2020-08-16|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2018-02-15|title=Edina Bronya Festival in Elimina takes place on the 1st Thursday of January|url=https://viewghana.com/edina-bronya-festival-elimina-takes-place-1st-thursday-january/|access-date=2020-08-16|website=viewGhana|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803080834/https://viewghana.com/edina-bronya-festival-elimina-takes-place-1st-thursday-january/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|last=Wilson|first=Steven A.|title=Check out this 9 day Masquerading and Edina Bronya tour in Ghana!|url=https://www.easytrackghana.com/Group_tour-December_2020-Masquerading.php/|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Easy Track Ghana|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=How ‘Edina Bronya’ came to be|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/how-edina-bronya-came-to-be.html|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Graphic Online|language=en-gb}}
History
After the Portuguese suffered defeat in the hands of the Dutch in 1627, they introduce a form of 'Christmas' locally known as Bronya to the local people. It coincides with the Dutch Festival and signifies the relationship between the people of Elmina and the Dutch.{{Cite web|title=Edina Bronya Festival|url=https://viewghana.com/events/edina-bronya-festival/|access-date=2020-08-16|website=viewGhana|language=en-US}}
Celebrations
Families and friends get together to celebrate with merry-making and eating. On the eve of the festival, shots are fired at midnight by the Paramount Chief to usher into the New Year. The Paramount Chief rides in a palanquin on the following day.{{Cite web|title=Edina Bronya in Elmina|url=http://amedzofevillage.com/en/2016/04/14/edina-bronya-in-elmina/|access-date=2020-08-16|language=en-US}} Sheep are slaughtered in front of the Elmina castle.{{Cite web|title=Festivals Ghana - Easy Track Ghana|url=https://www.easytrackghana.com/cultural-overview-ghana_festivals.php|access-date=2020-08-16|website=www.easytrackghana.com}}