Celebrates of Fire Festival Defies Rains, Stages this Year's Celebration Under Showers

Celebrants of fire (Bugum) festival in the Dagbon Traditional Area in the Northern Region on Wednesday night defied rains to hold this year's festival.

The commencement of the festival which often begin at 8:00 pm at the various chief palaces in the Traditional Area delayed due to the hours of downpour in the region.

The joyous crowd in Tamale, Mion, Karaga, Savulugu, Nanton and many other communities after realizing the rains would not stop any time soon lighted up their touches with the blessing of the custodian's of the land.

From all walks of life's, the streets of Tamale where Soireenews observed the festival saw wild jubilation by the age and young amidst firing of muskets and drumming.

Many of the celebrates, basically the youth wielded locally manufactured guns and touches signifying the old day's fire festival.

The fire festival among Dagomba people in Dagbon was celebrated before the advent of Islam. It doesn’t have much do to with Islam, although both Muslims and traditional believers celebrate it of late.

Narrating the story behind the festivity; In the ancient Dagbon, there lived a King who had a son. One night, this prince went missing. The whole community went out looking for him that night, holding torches in order to light the way. When they finally found him deeply asleep under the tree, they immediately took him back to his parents' palace.

Prince’s parents decided to name that tree an evil one, after considering it as the one that concealed their son. Later on, everybody who helped to look for the prince, threw his torch at the evil tree in order to shame it.

The king announced that day to be celebrated every following year to commemorate this event.