What happens at a Ghana naming ceremony? An elder asks the day of the week you were born and gives you your Akan name, the name you would have carried if your ancestors had never been taken. On our trip it happens at Assin Manso, and for many travelers it's the moment Ghana becomes home.
Key facts
- Where: Assin Manso, on Day 4 of The Ghana Experience, the same day as Cape Coast Castle.
- What to wear: white. Everyone dresses in white that day.
- Dates: September 18 to 25, 2027 and September 22 to 29, 2028.
- Where you stay: the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra.
To see the rest of the week, read our 8-day Ghana itinerary, or why Ghana changed me.
The Trip You Almost Didn't Take
Ask around any Ghana group and you'll hear some version of the same thing. Africa was on the list for years. Work was busy, the timing was off, next year felt safer. And underneath all of that, a quieter reason: being a little afraid of what you might feel once you got there.
If that's you, you're in good company. Ghana asks you to be open in a way most of daily life never does. That's exactly why it matters.
The Day Everything Changes
Photo: Caviar in the Air
The naming ceremony is on Day 4 of our itinerary, early in the morning at Assin Manso, before the slave river at Donkor Nsuo and Cape Coast Castle. Everyone wears white.
The ceremony is simple in structure and deep in feeling. Each traveler comes before a local elder, who asks the day of the week you were born. Based on that day, you receive your Akan name, the name you would have carried if your ancestors had never been taken.
The Akan Day Names
In Akan tradition, every day of the week carries a name, one for girls and one for boys. Spellings shift a little from region to region, so you may see more than one version.
| Day you were born | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Akosua | Kwasi |
| Monday | Adwoa (Adjoa) | Kwadwo (Kojo) |
| Tuesday | Abena | Kwabena |
| Wednesday | Akua (Ekua) | Kwaku |
| Thursday | Yaa | Yaw |
| Friday | Afua (Efua) | Kofi |
| Saturday | Ama | Kwame |
Look up the day you were born before you go, or let the elder tell you. Either way, the name is already yours.
What Happens Next
Photo: Caviar in the Air
Some travelers cry right away. Some sit very still and simply say thank you. Some don't feel the full weight of it until that evening, back at the hotel, or weeks later at home.
What so many women carry away is the same idea: a name that has nothing to do with your job title, your degrees or how hard you've worked to belong in rooms that weren't built for you. A name that connects you to who you were before all of that. You don't earn it. It's simply yours.
That's a soft, powerful thing to receive. You deserve it.
Why This Moment Matters
At Caviar in the Air, the trips we're proudest of are the ones people are still talking about a year later, and Ghana is high on that list.
The naming ceremony is one moment. But it represents something much larger: the recognition that you are connected to a history, a culture, and a people who have been waiting for you to come home.
Your Name Is Waiting
Photo: Caviar in the Air
If this speaks to you, your naming ceremony is waiting. Your Ghanaian name already exists. You just haven't heard it yet.
Culture
Culture
Culture