Fire Festival

The 16th of July, I celebrate Fire Festival, a local festivity that symbolize resilience, strength and unity. It is celebrated at night and Dagombas gathered together to celebrate, showcase and honor their ancestors. The legend tales that many years ago the king's son got missed in the forest, the king then ordered people to go around to look for him. There was no electricity so people used grass torches. After hours of searching the king's son was found sleeping under a tree. The community used then the fire from the torches to fire the tree as they considered it as having stolen the kid. 

Since then, every year, the local community commemorate this event. The day of the fire festival changes every year since it follows the lunar calendar and it marks the beginning of the Dagomba's year. It falls on the ninth day of the first month of the Dagomba lunar year, the Bugum Goli (the month of fire). The festival normally begins at night, on hour or two after the muslim evening prayers. It starts at the chief palace, the chief comes out and throw the first flaming torch. After that all the crowd will set their torch on fire and walk to the next neighbourhood to gather with the other communities and share their fire. Communities normally walk until they find a place where they will throw their fire and from there they walk back home. 

People gathered together as a big family, and dance and sing while walking. Another time, locals showed to be cheerful and very protective even when they don't know each other. Everybody was focusing on making me experience the whole traditions but also ensuring that I was safe the whole time and not to close to the fire or too exposed. We walked for almost 2 hours and it felt like 10 minutes, our steps were following the rhythm of our voices, it seemed to me that we were all moving as one, as if the music of the drums was working as a rope keeping all us together.