ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Akan Calendar

Okay kiddo, have you ever wondered how people kept track of days before there were fancy calendars on our phones? Well, in West Africa, the Akan people had a special way of tracking time called the Akan calendar!

You know how we have twelve months in a year? The Akan calendar has twelve months too, but they have funny names like "Ofori" and "Adaduanan". Each month has its own symbols and special meanings too.

But here's the really cool part - the Akan people also have their own way of keeping track of days within each month! They use a cycle of six days, which they call "week". Each day is named after something special, like "Kwasi" means "born on a Sunday" and "Yaa" is named after a female warrior!

This Akan calendar has been used for hundreds of years and is still used by some Akan communities today. It's a unique way of keeping track of time and remembering important cultural traditions. So next time you hear someone talking about the Akan calendar, you'll know what they're talking about!