The residents at the beach transacting their businesses
Residents in parts of Ketu South marked this year’s Christmas and Boxing Day as any ordinary day without the usual social events like picnics, get-togethers and exchange of gifts associated with the season.
A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Boxing Day to some communities in the Municipality showed that aside government establishments and corporate businesses that did not open, people went about their daily activities- mainly fishing and trading.
Contrary to expectations that revellers would throng the beaches to have good times with family and friends, it was normal business at Aflao beaches as fishermen went on fishing voyages and traders, to markets.
Mr Kwame Atorku, a fisherman told the GNA that though he would have loved to stay back home and spend the day with his family, he needed to get something for the house as “the system is dry.”
Madam Gbeda Hukporti, a fishmonger and traditionalist, said she was there to get some fish for the market and added that her inability to observe the holiday had nothing to do with her religion as the day was about showing love “but circumstances are such that if you relax a lot, you may go hungry.”
Only a handful of guests were spotted at the Atlantic Breeze Hotel bar, a popular holiday destination at Aflao Lowcost area.
The situation was not different from the Pledge Beach, which also had a few holiday makers, mostly nonresidents.
At Denu Beach, GNA saw some kids, playing in the sand and at a distance, a group of men playing cards while a handful of people took a walk on the shore.
Some three middle-aged women were also spotted relaxing on a cloth in the sand and when asked how they were marking the holiday, “we’re happy seeing you here because by the look of things, you’re bringing us a present,” one of them said, which aroused laughter.
At D’Gulf Beach Resort, Mr Godsway Amenyo, Manager of the Resort said, "... As you can see, there is virtually no customer here. We hope things pick up from 30th December to 1st January..."
However, hundreds of revellers were seen across the Ghana-Togo border at Lome Beach having fun.
Interestingly, the merrymakers in Lome, capital of the Republic of Togo were dancing to songs by Ghanaian musicians.
Boxing Day, a statutory public holiday after Christmas Day on December 25, originated from Britain and it is a day that money, gifts and leftovers from Christmas dinners are exchanged to show love, as essence of the Yuletide.
The observance of Boxing Day, known in Ewe as “Dzofikagbe” used to be a reflection of Christmas Day itself in the area.
But this year, many people (mostly Christians) from other parts of the Municipality and adjoining areas spent their Christmas Day, which was a market day, in the Denu market instead of church, claiming, they needed to go to the market to get some cash.
Meanwhile, four hospitals-Sape Agbo Hospital, New Hope Hospital, Aflao Central Hospital and Ketu South Municipal Hospital recorded six Christmas babies for the area.
