FLASHBACK: How Ghanaians celebrated Christmas in 1966

The festive season is not only a time for merry-making and celebration; over the past decades, it has also become synonymous with shopping.

Some millennials may have little or no idea how the festive season was celebrated by Ghanaians in the early decades of the country’s development.

However, a rare footage from Ghana Facts & History, sighted by GhanaWeb back in 2019, provides a glimpse of how our forefathers prepared for the holidays.

The video captures busy shopping centres in the capital, Accra, and even shows snippets of the traffic jams during Christmas in the 1960s. It also highlights traditional Ghanaian market centres.

In terms of dressing style and technology, not many changes are noticeable compared to today. Traffic, as seen in recent times, may not be surprising, as similar congestion was evident even then.

Interestingly, the culture of buying fowls in traditional markets, as well as purchasing Christmas souvenirs, was also present during that period.

The video was posted with the caption, “Footage of Ghanaians preparing for Christmas in December 1966. The last weekend before the holiday found Accra packed with Christmas shoppers from all over the country. The influx of people brought traffic jams and packed lorry parks, while Ghanaian women stocked up on foodstuffs.”

PS: The video has no sound



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