Has the year met well or ...

....have we bungled our translation?

Afihyia Pa has been literally translated into many things by so many. I have certainly heard some translate it as "the year has met well". I must admit that I have myself been confused a time or two about what the correct translation is.

When someone dies, we celebrate the first anniversary. I believe in Akan, it is Afihyia. If we celebrate the first anniversary of any event, we celebrate its Afrihyia. Not only that, on the second, third or a multi-year anniversary of an event, we celebrate the Afrihyia. Why then should we translate the Christmas and New Year events as "the year meeting well" or anything else rather than a "Good Anniversary" or simply "Happy Anniversary" i.e. "Merry Christmas".

I look back and I feel comfortable in accepting that Afihyia Pa simply translates to "Happy Anniversary" rather than anything else and just plain "Merry Christmas" at Christmas time even though we confuse the meaning by following it with "May the year go and come find us again" ( I will accept any correction if anyone knows better).

If I were a wise man, I would do my part, but I am not, and I have nothing else to offer except the above. Afihyia Pa oh! May all of you be abundantly blessed throughout the next year.

Tony Pobee-Mensah