Attend a festive Ashanti funeral? This had to be carefully explained to us. The person for whom the funeral was held, actually died some time ago. It could have been years before. The family saves up their money and plans a major send-off when they can afford it.

There are "funeral scouts" who do nothing but smooze around to find out when the next big send-off was being held, where and for whom. The funeral, important to Ashanti culture, is a major social event. The participants dress in accordance with tradition. The immediate relatives dress in red while the others wear black cloth and every piece of gold jewelry their bodies can support. There are many rituals: giving offerings to the spirits of the ancestors, food, drinks and the women perform lively, traditional dances.

The "funeral scout" found a top-of-the-line funeral for us. The former ???? (can't remember but he was a major big-shot) - perhaps you'll recognize his photo.