We have just rung in a new year heralding the coming of a bright season— marked by sunny weather— that ousted a bleak one— characterized by heavy downpours and at times drizzly rains. A carpet of lush grasses punctuated by yellow daisies adorns Mother Earth while Brooks bubbles with lyrical music. Chirruping birds echo the feeling. People become ebullient with an uplifted mood, for they will not be forced to stay indoors to avoid inundated rivers, muddy roads, and dark clouds.
On such occasions, thanksgiving to the Almighty is called for. It is aware of this fact, for a long, carrying lush grasses and yellow daisies a major segment of the people of Oromia head to rivers to express gratitude to their creator—Waaqaa— for allowing them to open a new chapter promising a new beginning for the better. Singing “Have mercy,” and dipping into the water the bunch of grasses they carry, celebrants beseech the Almighty to forgive their transgressions and bless their harvests and livestock. They implore Him to allow them to thrive as He allowed greenery to take the upper hand that season.
Here in the capital, dressed to kill with embroidered colorful white traditional clothes some designed in modern and eye-catching ways, women and children flanked by their male counterparts of course directed by Aba Gadaas pour out on the streets that lead to the pool on the river that abuts ECA building. Attracted by the vivacity of the ceremony, its sentiment of fraternity and solidarity, the number of foreign and domestic tourists that attend the event is snowballing by the year.
The Oromo people are all-embracing by their nature. As such, as history testifies, they like to assimilate. This opens doors for clicking with a multitude of ethnic groups and fellow African siblings. The feeling of the event with a contagious effect has a high potential to ripple across Africa.
Facts on the ground suggest that it is high time Irreechaa is registered in UNESCO’s intangible heritage list. Given the growing number of touristic attractions in the city that accentuates the event.
Irreechaa is also a moment of forgiveness. It is an occasion when those at loggerheads decide to bury the hatchet. This exemplary act has the potential to go a long way to consolidate social cohesion, which is key to a nation’s tranquility. It proves a salient pillar of consolidating peace.
With the spirit of unity and oneness that is manifested by Irreechaa, forging chemistry with fellow citizens, the Oromo people are mobilized toward nation-building. This spirit must be stepped up for rosy days.
This thanksgiving festival of the Oromo people could be traced back in the Gadaa system, which upholds national unity, reconciliation, and solidarity. Irreechaa, one of the mammoth outdoor cultural festivals, showcases Ethiopia’s wealth of cultural heritages that must be properly tapped to augment the country’s hard-won currency. Its role in promoting local business, from the sale of costumes and artifacts, goes without saying.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 5 OCTOBER 2024
