Adae Kese Festival

This is a very important, albeit rare celebration of the Ahantis. it is held in a large open space in the capital city of Kumasi. The festival is normally well attended and attended and embraced by Ashantis from all walks of life.

Basically, the Adae Kese celebrations are magnified forms of Sunday Adae Festivals, celebrated every six weeks in accordance with the Akan calender which is based on a cycle of forty-two days and nine months in a year. Invariably, the last Akwasidae festival is set aside for the celebration of Adae Kese.

Adae Kese is usual held to climax celebrations of specific milestones and achievements of the Asante kingdom, it was first celebrated people, in the aftermath of the Ashanti war of independence, otherwise known as the "Battle of Feyiase", which was fought against the Denkyiras between 1697 and 1699. Adae Kese, like other Akwasidae events, serve as the Golden Stool which represents the unity and embodiment of all Ashanti.

The event is marked in two phases. There are solemn private observances which are performed at the King's palace chambers by accredited members of the royal family and other functionaries. It includes rituals, aimed at cleansing the spirit of the incumbent King and the presentation of ceremonial sacrificial meal (Eto) and drinks to ancestral spirits. Their blessing and protection guide the kingdom to properity.

The public celebrations take the form of a colourful durbar of chiafs and queenmothers prsided over by the Asantehene. It involves the display of cherised regalia and paraphernalia accompanied by traditional drumming and dancing as well as firing of musketry amidst pomp and pagentry.

The Adae festival is a continuous demonstration of faith in the Golden Stool in 1700. The Festival is also to commemorate and re-enforce the independence of the Ashanti people and an occasion to re-affirm each state's loyalty to the confederacy instituted in the aftermath of the Ahanti war of independence fought against the denkyeras between 1697-1699.

It provides a platform for the King to meet and share his thoughts with his sub-chiefs and subjects and also reward deserving ones.