In recent years, “Detty December” has become synonymous with Ghana’s vibrant end-of-year festivities, attracting tourists and members of the African diaspora eager to partake in the country’s rich cultural celebrations.
However, the term has recently come under scrutiny, with Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin expressing concerns over its implications for Ghana’s international reputation.
The genesis of ‘Detty December’
The term “Detty December” was first coined in 2019 by Ghanaian brand consultant Bernard Kafui Sokpe during a December concert for popular Nigerian artiste Mr. Eazi.
“At that time, we used to call him ‘Detty Boy’. So for that December concert, ‘Life is Easy’, we decided to call it ‘Detty December because it was just going to be a fun December, an exciting December. It was like showing the full limits of enjoying December to the max,” he said in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Isaac Dadzie.
According to him, “Detty” is a playful adaptation of the Ghanaian expression “dirty your body,” which refers to engaging in fun activities that might leave one physically messed up but emotionally happy.
“It’s like when kids go out to play and come back home dirty; that shows they really had a good time,” he added.
Over time, “Detty December” has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, marked by a series of events, concerts, and gatherings that celebrate Ghanaian heritage and attract visitors worldwide.
This term further exploded when the ‘Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return” initiatives took effect.
Speaker Bagbin’s concerns
Despite its popularity, Speaker Alban Bagbin expressed strong objections to the term “Detty December,” arguing that it portrays Ghana as a destination for unchecked revelry.
During a traditional durbar at the forecourt of Job 600 to mark Labour Day, Bagbin recounted an encounter in the United States where a woman expressed her intent to visit Ghana for “Detty December”.
He questioned the term’s meaning and was told it referred to a period when people come to Ghana to “do whatever they want for free and go back.”
Bagbin expressed alarm over this perception, stating, “This is what is happening and it is destroying our country. We must all stand up and fight it.”
However, Sokpe disagrees, stating that the Speaker’s perspective was just a misunderstanding.
“I don’t blame him. I just think he comes from an era where a lot of things might come off as literal for him. So, him hearing someone say, ‘Detty December’, might come across like, ‘Hey, people are just coming here to do bad things,” Sokpe said.
He emphasised that “Detty December” is not about promoting immoral behaviour but celebrating Ghanaian culture and boosting tourism.
He also pointed out that other countries, like Nigeria, are seeking to capitalise on similar events by implementing structures to monetise the influx of visitors.
“If the Speaker of Parliament has gone out there for a foreigner to see that they know Ghana because of this, now come back to the drawer and say, ‘If this is what they know Ghana for, how can we expand on it, and how can we differentiate it?'” he suggested.
ID/MA
