It is one of the early mornings of the spring season. Unlike other mornings, days in Chambalala have special mornings that herald a New year. It is common every year to see celebrants of Sidama’s traditional New Year festival, Fiche-Chambalala, singing traditional songs that convey a message of hope, love and forgiveness. Holding a spear and shield, Sidama people will gather together to celebrate the day. Most of the group includes both men and women elders of the Sidama community. In some groups youths also participate in the songs held in a straight line. The day symbolizes peace, harmony, and success.
Recently, Hawassa city, one of the cleanest cities in Ethiopia, welcomed its guests warmly and hosted the recent Fiche-Chembalala festival colorfully. The Sidama People celebrated Fiche-Chambalala colorfully for the first time after accomplishing statehood. The celebration took place in Gudumale, a wide meadow reserved for annual Fiche Chambalala celebration in Hawassa city. Fiche-Chambalala was celebrated with a huge get-together of people after two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic impact. The celebration was attended by numerous senior government officials, city residents as well as representatives of various nations, nationalities and peoples from neighboring zonal and state administrations.
No one is allowed to attack anyone, even animals and a plant on the New Year of the Sidama community. Elders of the community have their own penalties on those who are not governed by the principles of Fiche Chembelala.
Sidama State Chief Administrator, Desta Ledamo, said that Chambalala, a UNESCO registered New Year’s festival among the Sidama people, embraces various assets and values that strengthen national integration, peace, and harmony. Thus, the celebration of the festival serves as an input to promote the country’s development and ignites immensely contributed a lot to reinforce Ethiopian unity throughout the past.
On the occasion, Desta indicated that such ancient tangible and intangible heritages of the country witness that it is home to numerous homegrown knowledge and assets.
“Our forefathers/mothers deserve recognition for inheriting this valuable social value without losing its content. We will also work jointly to conserve and inherit the values of Fiche-Chembelala for the next generation,” he said.
Other senior officials who attended this year’s Fiche-Chambalala have also conveyed a message of hope and togetherness to the people of Sidama and Ethiopia.
Oromia state Chief Administrator, Shimelis Abdisa, said that it is time to work jointly on realizing the country’s peace and development through countering all odds. At the event, the administrator wished peace and stability to the people of Sidama and Ethiopia in connection with the New Year.
For his part, Culture and Sport Minister, Kejela Merdasa, said that the Ministry is working strenuously on developing and harnessing the country’s diversified cultural assets’ potentials such as Fiche-Chembelala.
“Fiche-Chembelala, is one good example of manifesting a country’s ancient civilizations and numerous cultural assets. While celebrating Fiche –Chembalala elders preach peace and reconciliation that contribute a lot in nation building.”
Minister of Tourism, Nasise Chali, said that the country is undertaking a wide array of promoting its cultural assets to generate more income from the tourism sector. Tourism is among the five pillar focus areas of the Ethiopian government development strategy. Therefore, the Ministry is working hand in hand with stakeholders to harness the sector potentials through properly developing and conserving the country’s tangible and intangible heritages as well as promoting tourism investments, she noted.
Accordingly, more assignments are left ahead to generate more from the country’s diversified tangible and intangible cultural heritages’ potentials through attracting more tourists.
Participants of this year’s celebration have expressed their hope to witness better days and wished Fiche –Chembelala to bring brighter hopes and aspirations among the Sidama community to renew commitment towards peace and unity.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Fichee-Chambalaalla, New Year festival of the Sidama people was inscribed in 2015 on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
According to the oral tradition, Fichee commemorates a Sidama woman who visited her parents and relatives once a year after her marriage, bringing Buurisame, a meal prepared from false banana, milk and butter, which was shared with neighbors. Fichee has since become a unifying symbol of the Sidama people.
Each year, astrologers determine the correct date for the festival, which is then announced to the clans. Communal events take place throughout the festival, including traditional songs and dances. Every member participates irrespective of age, gender and social status. On the first day, children go from house to house to greet their neighbors, who serve them Buurisame. During the festival, clan leaders advise the Sidama people to work hard, respect and support the elders, and abstain from cutting down indigenous trees, begging, indolence, false testimony and theft. The festival therefore enhances equity, good governance, social cohesion, peaceful co-existence and integration among Sidama clans and the diverse ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Parents transmit the tradition to their children orally and through participation in events during the celebration. Women in particular, transfer knowledge and skills associated with hairdressing and preparation of Buurisame to their daughters and other girls in their respective villages.
BY TEWODROS KASSA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 6 MAY 2022
