Togo: Guin people mark new year with Sacred Stone ceremony

Thousands of people wearing white clothes: the Guin people.

During the Epé-Ekpé festival, the Ekpé-sosso or literally the taking of the stone ceremony is held.

The annual event takes place between late August and early September in Glidji, south-east Togo.

"It's our new year, we ask peace and prosperity and our ancestors always grant us what we pray for. The blessing then rests upon the whole world, not only here in Togo," Togbé a traditional priest says.

The Guin people migrated from Ghana in the late XVIIth century.

This year is the 361st edition of the ceremony which has a purification aspect, and it is still very close to the heart of the participants.

"Every year we hold this ceremony. The sacred stone was passed down to us from our ancestors. To us, it is a blessing, it is our strength. We must keep the tradition alive," Ahogbéssi says.

The ceremony of the taking of the stone starts with a procession of priestess and priests. Songs and dances accompany the walk creating a festive and prayerful ambiance.

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The most anticipated moment is when the priest comes out of the forest with the sacred stone. There are stone with different colours which are interpreted as a message from the ancestors.

This year's stone is whitish, a good omen.

"The stone sends a message, it urges us to unite and to forgive each other," journalist and participant Bruno Mensah says.

"It is very important to come to this sanctuary. This is our Mecca, our Rome, our Wailing Wall. As other people go on pilgrimage there, this is our pilgrimage site," he explains.

"Young women must refrain from any form of abortion. We must pay our debts and mostly cultivate a spirit of forgiveness," Miano Edwige, a traditional priestess says.

Tradition and spirituality meet whenever the Guin celebrate their new Year.

The ceremony of the taking of the stone here in Glidji is more than a ritual, it is a moment of vibrant communion and reunion for the Guin people, and for the Togolese at large.