In Ghana, there are a lot of practices that we see to be a ‘normal’, but to foreigners, they get something known as cultural shock when they hear or see us do it.
Most of these practices might seem normal to you, but to foreigners they are bizarre. Come with us as we reveal to you, these practices.
1. Urinating In Open Places
This practice seems normal to many Ghanaians. A Ghanaian wouldn’t mind urinating right in the middle of the street when there is traffic. You have even taxi drivers stopping right in the middle of a busy road and urinating on their car tires.
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2. Tribal Marks
In Ghana, there are many tribes that indulge in tribal markings by scarring people’s faces. Some do it for medicinal purposes, others for beauty and some as a way of identification for certain tribes.
This might seem normal to the average Ghanaian but in some cultures, this is very bizarre. Who would like to scar their faces deliberately, but hey! that’s why culture is dynamic.
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3. Female Genital Mutilation
This practice has come under a lot of scrutiny from WHO and NGO’s around the world but it is sadly still ongoing. It is a procedure where the female external genitalia is surgically removed for certain ridiculous reasons. This includes the clitoris and in some case the labia majora and minora.
What else could be bizarre than this.
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4. Trokosi
Trokosi is a practice where children are forced into servitude to a shrine because their parents or relatives owe the shrine.
These children, mostly women are forced to sleep with the elders of the shrine and some of these kids may be as young as 12 years. This practice has come under a lot of condemnation from various parties but the practice is still ongoing athough there is a move to abolish it.
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5. Burying Of A Slave When The King Or Chief Dies
There is a practice in Ghana where a slave is killed when a King or Chief dies. It is believed this slave will serve the King or Chief in the after-world.
Though civilization and modernization are causing it to recede, there are still some cultures that still practice it in secrecy.
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6. Beheading Of Strangers When A Chief Or King Dies
Whenever a King or Chief dies, there is a curfew and strangers who are seen loitering a kidnapped and sacrificed by the King’s soldiers known as “Abrafour”.
This practice is gradually receding but some conservative traditions still practice it in secrecy. It is usually advised that, strangers shouldn’t be loitering about at night whenever a King or Chief dies.
Tell us if that’s not bizarre.
7. Markets Are Close When A King or Chief Dies
This is very common practice in Ghana and still happening in many cities, towns and villages. A week to the burial of a King or Chief, all markets must stop operations till after the funeral of the King.
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8. Witch Camps
In Ghana, there are many camps that houses witches. The government has tried to close some down but even the victims are scared to go back to their families for fear of being lynched.
Mostly women are chased out of their family homes for being witches and “imprisoned” in these camps for protection by the Chief of the town who is believed to have powers that controls or weakens the potency of witchcraft. Sigh
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9. Shaving Of Widows And Children’s Hair
In some traditions in Ghana, when a woman’s husband dies, she is forced to shave her hair and that of her children.
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10. Mutilation Of Slaves
In some Akan traditions, the slaves of the King have the skin on their arm surgically removed, leaving only the bare bone. Some also have their lips removed showing only their jaw and teeth. These slaves are said to be used to amuse the King whenever he’s in grief and so are kept in a special place in the palace for that purpose. They entertain him and try all they could to make him laugh.
The tradition is so well protected it has not come under any condemnation yet and it is said that, these slaves actually volunteer to do it. The practice is gradually receding but we still have some of these people around who appear only during another King’s funeral.
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