Latest update April 4th, 2025 12:14 AM
ACDA opens Emancipation Celebrations with “Libation”
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and Museum of African Heritage on Friday, opened the celebration of Emancipation 2013 and Exhibition at the 1763 Information Centre. There was a libation ceremony.
The event also marked the 250th anniversary of the 1763 Rebellion.
The ceremony, which started two hours late, saw a number of cultural performances and folk story telling performed by some prominent Guyanese of African ancestry.
The libation ceremony.
To begin the programme, member of the IFA’s House of Santeria, Bishop Andrew said that the libation ceremony is paying homage to the ancestors. During the ritual, the bishop lit three candles and filled three calabashes with liquid which were all placed around a plant.
The element or God of Fire, “Baba Shango” was being honoured.
This element signifies energy, which is needed for the survival of all living things and is represented by red and white. Figuratively, fire is used to destroy obstacles that keep persons from being successful.
Assistant Director of Culture at ACDA, Col Linden Ross, said yesterday that 68 groups across Guyana under ACDA received the total sum $7.6M from the Ministry of Culture to stage their Emancipation celebrations.
Ross added that Friday’s event honoured Guyanese heroes who sought to see freedom come to people who were once in bondage. He added that thus persons who are descendants must now respect the sacrifices and hard work done by their ancestors.
“We must teach the younger generation about the sacrifices of our ancestors for us to be here today,” Ross said.
He added that a recent survey he conducted revealed that more than five out of ten youths are not aware of basic information on emancipation.
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