Hello everyone,
By now, I am sure we have all witnessed a naming ceremony in session before. This particular ceremony is done for all who are born in a Ghanaian home in order to usher them into the world. In the past, the common belief was that the baby was not recognized as a human being until it lives its first seven days on earth. After this faithful day, we can decide a name for the child and welcome it into the family.
Naming a bit tricky since it entirely depends on the parents mostly the father, to provide a suitable name for the child. But in the Akan society, each child already has a name based on the day that they were born. The various assigned names can be seen in the table below.
| DAY | MALE | FEMALE |
|---|---|---|
| MONDAY | KWADWO | ADJOA |
| TUESDAY | KWABEBA | ABENA |
| WEDNESDAY | KWAKU | AKUA |
| THURSDAY | YAW | YAA |
| FRIDAY | KOFI | AFIA |
| SATURDAY | KWAME | AMA |
| SUNDAY | AKWASI | AKOSUA |
So, before the real name of the child is given, it can be called by its traditional name depending on the day it was born. Even after the naming is done, we continue to call the child by its traditional name casually.
Naming ceremony is not just a day for us to welcome a new born baby, but it is a day for us to come together and celebrate the occasion and get to know each other well once again as a family.
On this occasion, the new mother is given numerous gifts including washing powder, baby towels, soap, diapers, toiletries, clothes and many others that will help in the smooth upbringing of the child. It is also a form of baby shower.
It is an awesome event that goes to show that we are a family that stick by one another at all times and look out for each other as well.
