YeyeeyeTwin Festival

Yeyeeye or Akwele Suma is a celebration of fertility and twin blessings. Twins from the Ga Mashie communities dress identically mainly in white and parade in the streets of James Town on Friday (14th 2020) in August on the eve of the annual Homowo Festival. (image of twins) Homowo twins (ladies in orange) F2FAfrica

Twins are often covered with white clay which signifies victory, purity, joy and longevity. Also known as the Twin Yam festival, so the twins will eat Otɔ/eto (mashed yam with palm oil). Cut up Yam is placed at all entry and exit points of the shrine to invoke the benevolent spirits to the ceremony. (image of twins in clay) clay twins – Samuel Nortey

Sacred Bath
One of the rituals for the twin festival Yeyeeye is the preparation of a special bath concoction (baawoo), which contains herbs to cleanse from any misfortune. Traditionally, the Nai Wulomo (chief priest) dressed in white prepares the baawoo before the various twin houses. The baawoo consists of 7 Herbs: ntonme, hii abaa, nyanyara, adibli, adwere, tsalai and too lilei. mixed with seawater, schnapps and egg in a traditional bowl called tsese. The priest will firstly purify himself with the baawoo to honour the spirits of the twins, imbeds confidence, self fulfilment, peace, financial wealth and wellbeing. Priest pours libation and expresses words to the spirits and gods. Recites prayers. With the response from the audience Hiao!,Hiao!, Hiao! Which means “May it be so”.
(image of baawoo) Herbal baawoo: chalewote

The twins will cleanse with the baawoo and the tsese with the remnants inside will be carried in the street procession followed by the twins. Image twins bathing: image credit Sheikh Mustapha Watson-Quartey
Blog post image; twin festival baawoo

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