A home for more than 63 ethnic groups and a country where more than 86 languages are spoken, it will not be a nationalistic bombast to claim that the diversity in Ethiopia is not to be matched by a similar variety any country in the world displays.
Ethiopia is a country of people with a broad-array of skin color and gaits. Each Nation and Nationalities and People’s culture has its own history, heritages, cultural norms and ways of living.
While, there are shared common public holidays and there are holidays that are special to the respective people’s norms exclusive, the cultural aspect also varies from state to state. For instance the Oromos, Tigrians, Sidamas, Amharas and Wolaita’s have Irrecha, Ashenda, Chembelala, Ashendeye and Giffata respectively.
On this week’s peek into Ethiopia we would like to take you to the south, Wolaita Sodo and its way of celebrating Giffata.
In a rainy Thursday Morning September 26, members of the Ethiopian Press Agency gathered by the Agency’s gate to hit the road to Wolaita following the invitation from the Wolaita Zone Administration for the celebration of ‘Giffata’ a New Year exclusive to Woliata people.
This writer and other 4 crew members including the Camera Man, Driver and two other Reporters woke up early at 12: 00 AM local time to avoid the traffic jam in Addis Ababa.
Wolyta sodo town is an administrative capital for the Wolaita zonal administration in south Ethiopia. It is located 380 km south from Addis Ababa. There are many different routes that take to the south from Addis. But the express way via Kaliti was a better option as it proved safe to accelerate the 6 hours’ drive.
Via our windowpane we were feasting our eyes on the greenery and scenery. As the rainy season was almost due, arable lands were covered with ripe different crops, ditches entertaining temporary flooded lakes. Green landscapes and clear skies were rolling .The landscape featured grass-attired mountains and forests and small villages flanking the road.
After 3 hours of nonstop drive we reached at Zeway Lake. And we stopped by for breakfast. Sitting near the lake, we enjoyed the best fried fish for our breakfast. The freshness, taste and also the reasonable price makes it much different from the fishes found in restaurants in the capital. What we found more amazing was dining near the lake while listening to the shores wave and duckling and chirping sounds of birds.
After we had our breakfast and coffee we got off again to another three hours’ drive and eventually reached.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday edition October 20/2019
BY FASICA BERHANE
