The Twins’ Festival is celebrated each year by the Ga people of Greater Accra, Ghana; It is celebrated to show appreciation and honour the gods for blessing a family with twins.
The spirit takes control of a woman who has volunteered to carry the bowl / offering for the gods on behalf of the twins. During the procession, the persons responsible for carrying the bowls are guided so that the bowls do not fall, spilling the ritual contents containing the spirits of the twins.
The event celebrated among the community, family and friends. A special meal, called Oto —made of yam and eggs—is made for the occasion. Family, friends and well wishers come around to celebrate with the family and twins. After the merry making, the procession begins.
Introducing the Family.
First photo: Ernestina Amartiefui and Augustina Amertiefui, the oldest twins of the family.
Second photo: Dominic and Dominca, the youngest twins in the family with their mother, Dora Doodo, and Richard Amertiefui, father of the oldest twins.
Third Photo: Vida Doodo, mother of the oldest twins and sister to the mother of the youngest twins.
The Procession.
A basin is filled with some of the blood and a few parts of the sacrificed animal—head, feet, cassava peels, libation, coins and local herbs. This sits in the compound of the house as the celebration goes on. The family and their guests wash their hands in the basin to connect with the Twin Spirit in appreciation and prayer. Some people make supplication for twins which are seen as a blessing and divine privilege.
People who want twins, while washing their hands, add money and pray with faith that the gods will honour them with twins of their own. The washing of hands in the basin is an extra act of faith, not a required acts. While some pray, offer money and wash their hands in the ‘mix”, others only offer prayers and money (coins) in the basin promising more thanksgiving after the twins prayed are conceived.
The spirit takes control over whoever volunteers to carry the bowl from the house to where they mixture thrown.
The persons responsible for carrying the bowl ensures that the ritual bowls does not fall and spill all its contents because it contains the spirits of the twins.
The ritual bowl contains leafs ,blood of the animal they killed(goat and chicken) ,alcohol, money, the skin of the yam or cassava ,egg and egg shells.
The final destination where the mixture is thrown and the spirit dispossesses the individual when the empty bowl is returned to the family house.