ADDIS ABABA – The Bench community in Bench Sheko Zone, South West Ethiopia, celebrated Bist Bar, their traditional New Year and thanksgiving festival.
According to local media reports, this marks the second consecutive year of Bist Bar celebrations after a hiatus of many years due to various reasons.
Bench Sheko Zonal Administrator Habtamu Kafeti emphasized the unique significance of Bist Bar for the community. “It is a time to give thanks to the divine and usher in the New Year,” he said. “The festival follows the harvest season and the end of the Ethiopian rainy season.”
Habtamu highlighted the deeper meaning of Bist Bar: “It symbolizes new hope, tolerance, forgiveness, blessings, health, peace, respect, and productivity. It fosters reconciliation within the community, as resentment is strictly forbidden on this day. Even the first meals of the new harvest cannot be eaten until any conflicts have been resolved.”
Beyond its cultural significance, Bist Bar also has economic benefits. “The festival creates jobs, boosts agricultural production, and attracts domestic and foreign tourists due to its vibrant performances,” Habtamu explained.
The Bench Zone is renowned for its agricultural productivity, particularly in coffee, spices, and crops like sesame, soybean, and mung bean, thanks to the state’s fertile land.
It’s important to note that numerous communities across Ethiopia celebrate their own unique New Year festivals and thanksgiving traditions, each with its own distinct cultural significant.
BY MESERET BEHAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 15 JANUARY 2025
