The Gologo celebration, often referred to as the Golib festival, is observed in March towards the conclusion of the dry season just before the early millet is sewn. The Talensi chiefs and people of Tong-Zuf, in Ghana’s Upper East Region, celebrate the Gologo Festival, one of the country’s biggest holidays, as a way “to reinforce the community belief in the Nnoo shrine or Golib god,” the deity that governs Talensi agricultural life. Pre-harvest sacrifices are made at this event, which is held in the months of March and April, in order to ask the terrestrial gods for protection, a healthy crop, and plenty of rain. Three distinct communities host the festival’s three-day schedule.
Gorogo hosts the first segment, Yinduri the second, and Teng-Zug (Tong-Zuf) the biggest and last segment. At the Teng-Zug shrine, offerings are made to the gods in appreciation for a successful event. The tutorial-named event in March is called Gol-diema. The second week of April is when the main Gologo celebration is held. The elders of each village write traditional songs specifically for the occasion, and people dance to the music. No one is allowed to make noise at this time, and funerals are also not held.
Men are required to adhere to a specific dress code that includes a short knicker and a towel on the chest. Additionally, women are obliged to cover their heads with a distinctive local-made cloth and tie a long towel from their chest to their feet.The Talensi people of Tenzug in the Upper East Region celebrates one of the rarest festivals in the country of Ghana. It is probably the only festival where participants observe a strict compliance to the wearing of certain kind of costume. Due to the nature of this custom, researchers sort to find out the art form which make up the costume and their religious or functional significance. The study used participant observation and interviews to document the festivities before, during and after the festival. The prominent features of the costume includes towels of different sizes and colours, knives of different sizes and the wearing of triangularly shaped aprons. The study concludes that there is the need to advertise the festival in the entire country of Ghana as well as abroad in order to open up the Tengzug area to more tourists and investors.
The communities learn new songs for the festival celebration throughout the month of February, which comes before the festival celebration, and they also buy or prepare new costumes and accessories. The third moon of each year determines when the holiday will be observed. This might happen in March or the first part of April. The new moon appeared in 2016 on March 9. The Chief and the Tindaana family take off their garments, especially their shirts and pants, and dress in festive regalia on the first day the moon appears. A day after the chief and the Tindaana have done so, the residents of the community remove theirs as well. For community members, the removal entails the removal of all attire that covers the upper body, taking off all of your clothes and simply wearing boxer shorts, no-pocket pants or shorts, or kpalang or kpalang peto. This removal will last for one month. No noise is permitted in the neighborhood during this time. As a result, it is forbidden to mourn for the dead, roof houses, play loud music, and other things at this time. Then, in the towns surrounding the Tongo Hills, the communities start a series of mini-festival rites that include dancing and making merry. All the communities will assemble at Tengzug for the concluding festival celebrations on the 16th day following the removal of garments.
To ensure “success in all food getting enterprises, security from danger, disease, and death is commemorated. Prayers are offered to the Golib deity throughout the event, which is led by the Nnoo temple. The purpose of the celebration is to strengthen the locals’ faith in the shrine.