Irrechaa, the Oromo people traditional thanksgiving festival is an annual thanksgiving day offered to Waka, the Creator. It preaches peace, love, unity and harmony among peoples and with nature. This year’s Irreca festival is being celebrated. The Hora Finfine part of Irrecha was celebrated yesterday in Addis Ababa and the Hora Arsede is celebrated today, in Bishoftu town.
Addis Ababa organizes sixth Irrechaa conference
The sixth Irrecha Conference, a national pennel discussion aiming at discovering the traditional values and principles of Irrecha festival was organized in Addis Ababa on Friday. The Irrecha conference was started six years ago during the Irrecha week so as to discuss the values and beliefs of Irrecha festivity. The conference was organized at Adwa Victory Memorial.
The six Irrecha conference was attended by Abba Gadas, Hade Sinqes, senior government officials, community leaders, youths and women.
Beautiful Oromo girls celebrating Irrechaa
Irrechaa is not only a thanksgiving day, it becomes among the facinating street carnivals of Ethiopia. Millions from different walks of life are gathered at the festival mainly wearing traditional Oromo nation clothes. Children, youths, women and the elderly attended the festival.
The festival shows the beautify and facinating cultural dresses and traditional practices of the Oromo people. As a result, in addition to the thanksgiving nature of the festival, Irrecha is becoming a facinating festival due to the fecision design dresses, the traditional beautification materials being used by the youth generation and the eye-catching traditional dances and other facinating activities.
These youths, both boys and girls, dressed traditional Oromo clothes were pictured during the sixth Irrechaa Conference in Addis Ababa. They are singing traditional Oromo songs that preach peace, love, harmony and togetherness based on the values of Irrechaa.
Thanksgiving ceremony during Irrechaa festival
Irrechaa, the native thanksgiving festival is celebrated every year at the bank of a river, especially in the case of Irrecha Melka. The reason is to thank the Waqa or Waqayo for the smooth transition from the rainy season to the sunny and bright season.
The thanksgiving celebration of Irrecha is led by the Abba Gadas, elected elders of Oromo people based on Geda, the traditional administarative system of the Oromo people. The Abba Gadas led the ceremony of thanksgiving at the bank of the river and the millions gathered to attend the festival followed the ceremony handing grasses on their hands and touch the water so as to thank the Waqayo.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
The Ethiopian herald October 6/2024
