The month of September is received by several cultural festivals including the Ethiopian New Year, various religious holidays including the finding of the true cross holiday (Mesqel), the thanks giving festival of the Oromos (Irrechaa), the divers colorful festivals in the Southern part of Ethiopia including the Wolayta’s Gifata, Hadiya’s Yahode, Yem’s Hebo, and Kaffa’s Mashkaro.
Tomorrow, Monday September 26, 2022 is the Bon fire festival (Demera) whch is also the ev of the Meskel Holiday in Ethiopia will be held across all parts of the country.
In literatures, Meskel, or cross, is described as a special festival to commemorate the finding of the true cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. According to the legend, the Byzantine Empress Elleni was lead to the place where the cross was hidden by smoke from a fire which she had been instructed to make in a dream. It has also has pre-Christian origins, to mark the end of the rainy season. In most places, as in Addis Ababa, the festival is celebrated on the eve.
In Addis Ababa, young men and women, dressed in white with red sashes, form processions and make their way, singing and dancing, to Meskel Square in the centre of town. They are joined by hundreds of priests and deacons from churches around the city, who bring drums and the ornate crosses used in religious ceremonies.
As it gets dark, the demera, or bonfire made up of dried sticks and bedecked with yellow flowers, is lit, commemorating the action taken by Empress Helleni. The direction is which the bonfire falls is said to indicate what will happen to the country in the year to come. Celebrations and street parties continue throughout the town into the night, with each neighbourhood having its own Demera.
Hadia Nefera
It is known that the Gifata festival, which is the fall of the Wolayta nation new year, celebrated today in the town of Wolayta Sodo.
The eve of Gifata festival is called “Bakra Keira” in the culture of Wolaytas. At the same time, the end of the old year and the eve of the new year, the Gifata holiday race has been held Yesterday on September 24, 2022.
Yo Maskala
Gamo nation’s New Year fall “Yo Maskala” festival has been celebrated in Arbaminch city with various programs attended by senior government officials. Sideline of the festival, the event to the inauguration of the Gamo nation peace symbol monument built in the Gamo zone administration compound was held. The art works of Gamo as well as the traditional materials used by the people in times of happiness and sadness are exhibited at the Gamo Zone Cultural Center for the audience gathered at the center.
The Ethiopian Herald 25 September 2022
