Holidays in Ghana 2023

We cannot deny the fact we all look forward to holidays, especially those ones that give us the leverage of staying home. Someone once said he would love a six month holiday, twice a year. Funny, but who wouldn’t if all your needs will be met.

Ghanaians look forward to holidays but some of the days may change which is why we have brought you a list of the holidays in Ghana 2019. We are sure you are itching to know the different holidays in Ghana so you can prepare adequately for them.

holidays in ghana

Holidays in Ghana 2019

This is the list of dedicated holidays in Ghana 2019. The table below will show you the different holidays, their dates, and the ones that are National Holidays.

Day DateHoliday TypeComments
TuesdayJan 01New Year’s DayNational Holiday
Monday Jan 07Constitution DayNational Holiday
WednesdayMar 06Independence DayNational HolidayNational Day
FridayApr 19Good FridayNational HolidayFriday before Easter
MondayApr 22Easter MondayNational Holiday
WednesdayMay 01Workers’ DayNational HolidayInternational Workers’ Day
SaturdayMay 25African Union DayNot a Public HolidayCommemorative Day
Wednesday Jun 05Eid ul-FitrNational HolidayEnd of Ramadan
Monday Jul 01Republic dayNot a Public HolidayCommemorative Day
SundayAug 04Founder’s DayNational Holiday
MondayAug 12Eidul-AdhaNational HolidayFeast of the Sacrifice
SaturdaySep 21Kwame Nkrumah Memorial DayNational Holiday
FridayDec 06Farmer’s DayNational HolidayFirst Friday in December
WednesdayDec 25Christmas DayNational Holiday
Thursday Dec 26Boxing DayNational Holiday

Let’s discuss a few peculiar holidays from this list.

Constitution Day

This holiday is observed on January 7 and it is the commemoration of the day the Constitution of Ghana’s Fourth Republic was adopted. It was adopted on January 7, 1993.

A referendum was held to sign the 1992 Constitution into law on April 28, 1992. This approval led to the constitution being officially adopted on January 7 of the next year.

A constitution clearly defines a country’s political principles, establishes procedures, structures, duties, and power of the government. It also describes the structure of the judiciary and legislature as well as the duties and rights of the country’s citizens.

By virtue of this, new heads of government in Ghana are sworn into office on this day. This is the first time the holiday will be observed in Ghana. It was declared a holiday under Section 2 of the Public Holiday Act, 2001 (Act 601).

Independence Day

This is a statutory holiday and it is observed in Ghana on March 6 of every year. In the case that the day falls on a weekend, the next Monday is then observed as a public holiday.

This day commemorates one of the most important days in Ghanaian history. It is a day when the whole country remembers its independence from the British on March 6, 1957.

Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the powerful Ashanti tribe occupied the region known as Ghana today. The region was blessed with an abundance of resources especially ivory and gold. This is what attracted the colonialists to the region.

Most people do not know this but the first set of Europeans to settle in Ghana were the Portuguese. When the British discovered how blessed the region was, the struggled for control of the area with the Portuguese.

This struggle led to a takeover of most of the Ashanti region by the British in 1871 and thus the renaming of the region. The region was renamed the British Gold Coast. However, the British decided after the Second World War to reduce its number of colonies. This desire fell in line with a longing for independence in the then Gold Coast.

Steps were taken by the natives of the region to see to it that they gained independence, a movement led by Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah. Nkrumah won the Gold Coast legislative elections held in 1951 and by the next year, he was established as the leader of the Gold Coast government.

On March 6, 1957, the Gold Coast gained independence from the United Kingdom and became the nation of Ghana. The country achieved a major feat as the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence, with Nkrumah as the first Prime Minister.

Founder’s Day

This is another statutory holiday in Ghana and it is marked on August 4. Peradventure the holiday falls on a weekend, the Monday following will be observed as a public holiday.

The holiday used to be celebrated on September 21 but after the Public Holiday Amendment Bill was passed into law in March 2019, it was brought forward.

This date is a commemoration of two important dates in Ghanaian history. First of them is the date the Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society established by John Mensah Sarbah was formed. The body was formed in 1897. Second, it was the day the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was established. The body was established by two men, George Alfred “Paa” Grant and J.B. Danquah in 1947.

Kwame Nkrumah Day

This holiday is commemorated on September 21. Whenever it falls on a weekend, the next Monday is fixed as a public holiday. It is a day set aside to celebrate the birthday of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

The holiday is marked with several events and lectures speaking about the achievements of the great Dr. Nkrumah. He was a man that made an indelible mark on Ghanaian history and his legacy lives on.

Farmer’s Day

National Farmer’s Day is celebrated in Ghana on the first Friday in December annually. However, in an election year, the holiday is celebrated on the First Friday of November.

The holiday was first introduced in 1988 by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The day is set aside to celebrate the efforts of farmers and fisherman. The day is filled with several activities including the awarding of prizes to deserving individuals. This holiday speaks of the importance of agriculture to the Ghanaian economy.

Now that you know the different holidays you can prepare for them so you can have as much fun as you possibly can.

See more on Lifestyles in Ghana.

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