I recently flew back to Ghana for the first time in five years, and it feels amazing to be home. While a lot of things have changed socially, culturally, and infrastructure-wise, some things have stayed exactly the same and I hope they will never change. What I am referring to in this particular case is a little "tradition" I'll dub, "the Ghana Clap." This is the burst of applause that erupts from passengers as soon as the plane touches down at Accra's Kotoka International Airport. I shared a nice little exchange with the guy seated next to me (we had not said a word to each other the entire flight) about how he always gets a kick out of the "Ghana Clap." I've personally flown to Ghana almost 20 times in my relatively short lifetime, and this little social artifact has rarely failed to be put on display (in my experience)...but where does it come from?
I would like to think that this little recurring event represents a beautiful collective expression of appreciation and thankfulness for the little things in life. Though air travel is currently recognized as one of the safest modes of transportation in the world -- the "Ghana Clap" shows appreciation for yet another safe landing at our final destination, and for the skill of the pilot that brought us in. Let us also not forget the tiny feat of human achievement, the plane itself, that allows us to sit in a chair that takes us from point A to B flying 30,000 feet in the air over land and sea in a matter of hours. The GC also acknowledges how happy we are to be home -- for some it's only been a few weeks, for others including myself, it's been anywhere from one to fifty years! The GC even just gives thanks that we were able to make the trip in the first place...
Adults-in-Training, we take so much for granted in our day-to-day lives...what things in your life deserve a much needed round of applause...?
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Well i'll have you know that there is another version: The Spanish Clap. On a recent trip from spain back to London, My friend Ayesha and I were shocked and tickled to see that spanish people are also very into the whole clapping for the pilot? the plane? the airline staff?
I have always found the clapping business very irritating and almost gauche. Harsh...yes but I like to fly in peace and quiet.
But I realize it is our excitement at being home... u don;t see us clapping when the plane lands at Heathrow or JFK..
We Jamaicans do the same thing. Though, I really only see it when I fly Air Jamaica. I think it has something to do with the comfort level and feeling as if you're only among your own people (eventhough that is not always the case) compared to flying one of the other US airlines.
Well it's cool to see that this little social artifact is actually pretty universal.
@BrownAangel - when Ghana Airways used to fly -- we used to also applaud at the skill of the pilots. I experienced the most feather light landings EVER on Ghana Airways flights back in the day -- skill so deft that you weren't sure if you had landed yet. You gotta clap for that.
@RememberEveryting - the clapping used to happen mainly on Ghana Airways flights for the same reason, but since most planes going to Ghana (BA, KLM, etc.) are 90-something% full of Ghanaians -- we felt pretty at home to give a round of applause...
You - my love! you deserve a round of applause (not that you are a little thing)
Thank you love! Your praise means teh world to me! You deserve a round of applause too...
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