Meskel (the finding of the true cross) :

The word actually means “Cross” and the feast commemorates the discovery of the true cross
by the Empress Helena, (the mother of Constantine the great), on which Jesus Christ was
crucified. The original event took place on 19 March, A.D. 326, but the feast is now
celebrated on 28th September.

It also signifies the phys ical presence of the true Cross at the remote mountain monastery of
Gishen Mariam located in the Welo region. During this time of year, vast bonfires are lit
countrywide the night before the celebration, and on the day itself everyone dances and feasts.
This festival also coincides with the mass blooming of the golden yellow meskel daisies called
Adey Abeba in Amharic. People of all ages are seen in the streets carrying fresh bunches of
these yellow flowers.

Meskel festival pictures

Timkat (Ethiopian Epiphany)

Timkat is the greatest festival of the year, falling on 19 January, just two weeks after the
Ethiopian Christmas. It is commemorates Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River by John the
Baptist. The next day is devoted to the feast of St. Michael the Archangel. From the end of the
rains in October, the country becomes increasingly dry and the sun blazes down from a clear
blue sky, so the festival of Timkat always takes place in glorious weather.

Enormous effort is put into the occasion. Tej and tella (Ethiopian local drinks) are brewed,
special bread is baked, gifts are prepared for the children and new clothes purchased or old
clothes mended and laundered. Everyone, men and women and children appear resplendent for
the three-day celebration.

Dressed in dazzling white traditional dress, the locals provide a dramatic contrast to the
jewel colours of the ceremonial velvet of the priests’ robes and sequined velvet umbrellas. On
the eve of 18th January, the priests remove the Tabot from each church and bless the pools or
rivers where, in the next few days, the celebration will take place.

ENKUTATASH

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Enkutatash, which means “Gift of Jewels” is the celebration of the Ethiopian New Year.
Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar, which consists of 13 months – 12 months each with 30
days and a final month with 5 days (6 days in leap year). The Julian calendar is 7 years and
8 months behind the Gregorian calendar, which is used throughout most of the Western
world. In 2007 (Gregorian calendar), Ethiopia rang in the year 2000 and the new Ethiopian
Millennium with colorful celebrations throughout the country Enkutatash happens to come
near the end of a long rainy season, coloring the green landscapes with bright yellow flowers
(called the Meskel Flower, or adei abeba in Amharic) and giving great reason to celebrate the
new harvest. Torches of dry wood are burned in front of houses on New Year’s Eve. On New
Year’s Day, girls dressed in new clothes go door-to-door singing songs. Families and friends
celebrate together with large feasts.

This day also happens to coincide with the saint’s day of St. John the Baptist. This religious
ceremony can be seen at the Kostete Yohannes church in the village of Gaynt, where
celebrations are carried out for three days. Just outside of Addis Ababa, on the Entoto
Mountain, Raguel Church has the largest religious celebration in the country.

The day is called Enkutatash meaning the "gift of jewels." When the famous Queen
of Sheba returned from her expensive jaunt to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem,
her chiefs welcomed her back by replenishing her treasury with enku or jewels.
The spring festival has been celebrated since these early times and as the rains
come to their abrupt end, dancing and singing can be heard at every village in the
green countryside. After dark on New Year's eve people light fires outside their
houses.

ASHENDYE
Ashendye is a unique traditional festival which takes place in august to make the ending
fasting called Filseta. This event is mostly for girls and young women, which they await
very eagerly every year. The name of the festival ‘Ashendye’ comes from the name of a tall
grass that the girls make in to a skirt and it around their waist as a decoration. The
young women and girls dress the best traditional dresses called tifitef which is a cotton
dress decorated with amazing embroidery from the neck to toe in front of the dress. The
girls also adored themselves with array of beautiful jewellery. After the gather in the
village or city centaur they divided in to small groups and they start from church and they
go house to house singing and playing their drums. Thy stop at every house and sing and
dance for the people in the house. It is customary for people to give them money, food and
drinks and other items for their efforts. They continue the whole day going from house to
house and occasionally stooping in a village or city centaur and singing and dancing for a
while before they go on again on their tour.

Fiche
It is one of Ethiopian world intangible traditional festivals. The sidama nation has its
own new year so called Fiche it will be celebrated for two weeks colorfully every year.

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The sidama have their own calendar which a week has five days and a month twenty
eight days.

Fiche is commonly celebrated at Gudumale on the shore of the lake Hawassa where
thousands of sidama and people from other ethnic group gathered and celebrate
together.

At the evining of fiche each fresh family head makes “huluqa”(arch) from fresh woods in
front of the house and makes every members of the family, even the cattle, pass through
it. This is done to symbolize the transition process. During the night of the holiday,
people of the village gather around in one of the village’s elder people and have cultural
meals together.

In the next day after fiche is called cambalala. On this day the family head shall
wear his traditional custom and shall feed his cattle in “callo”(protected pasture
area) by sparking “bole “salty soil and pass the day feeding and looking after
them. This ceremony has healed in the city of Hawassa Ethiopia near to lake
Hawassa on the place called Gudumale once a year.

Irecha
Irrecha is one of the intangible cultural heritages of Ethiopia in the Oromo
people. Once a year the Oromo people celebrate the Irecha around Lake
Hora near Debre ziet. This takes place on the first Sunday after Maskal
(September 28) and the ceremony centers on sacred trees, particularly
around an ancient fig tree. Worshippers ask for favors, fertility, healthy and
good fortune. In this celebration more than million people attended from all
overcall Ethiopia. The Irrech celebration is related to the worship and thanks
giving practice of the Oromo’s, to their God.

Led by the prominent figure in the community Abba Gadda, the participating
communities carry bunches of lovely grasses and flowers in their hands-
praise bless and prey to God (Waqaa). The participating women dress
cultural dresses and carry Siiqee (Cultural women stick) and men dresses in
cultural suits and carrying Aroresaa(Cultural men’s stick) heart fully sings the
songs that glorify the power of God and the decoration of the season. Young
people usually use the opportunity to select their girl mate and exchange gift.

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