BY DARGIE KAHSAY
The people of Sidama Nation celebrated Fichee Chambalaalla, Sidama New Year. Fichee Chambalaalla was registered at UNESCO as an intangible world heritage in 2015. People of the nation and other guests pay homage to Hawassa to attend the annual colorful celebration of the holiday.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other senior government officials and presidents of regional state governments have conveyed a best wish message to all celebrating Fichee Chambalaalla, the New Year festival of Sidama people.
We are celebrating this festival in the year that peace begins to prevail across our country. Peace, happiness, blessing, and prosperity are main values of the festival. All these values should be localized more since they have a potential to reduce poverty and to realize prosperity.
The heritage, Fichee-Chambalaalla of Sidama people is an Ethiopian culture recognized in global heritage list. Our forefathers and foremothers deserve honor for preserving all values intact and for handing it over to the present generation. The festival hammers home Sidama elders, traditional leaders and youths have key responsibility and potential in prosperity and in peace building. We would like to urge all celebrants to support government’s mission of dragging Ethiopia out of poverty.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s best wish message in connection with Fichee Chambalaalla
Fichee Chambalaalla festival is the cultural asset of the people of Ethiopia and the world at large. The festival preaches peace, harmony, unity, love and togetherness. Unity, togetherness and love are the pillars of the festival.
Fichee Chambalaalla festival has kept the unity and culture of the people of Sidama for centuries. It is among the strong cultural values of the people of Sidama. It promotes philanthropic gestures for one-other and charitable activities. The value of Fichee Chambalaalla is not limited only to the Sidama people; it preaches living in harmony and peace with neighboring nations and with all human kinds at large.
The festival is a unifying symbol for peace, unity and integrity among the community and at national level at large. It needs to be promoted and preserved. The current generation should keep, promote and bequeath the values of Fichee Chambalaalla to the next generation. It is a global intangible heritage.
Desta Ledamo, Sidama Regional State President said during Chambalaalla celebration
Fichee Chambalaalla is a unique festival of the Sidama people. The festival has a lot of precious values that indicate the beautiful cultural and traditional identities of Sidama people. Due to its great values, Fichee Chambalaalla has become a world intangible heritage.
Sidama people own a deep philosophy. Sidama gives us this beautiful and valuable festival to all of us. It preaches unity and peace. Promoting such festivals would help to promote national unity and harmony.
Shimelis Abdissa, Oromia Regional State President said during Fichee Chambalaalla celebration
The values of Fichee Chambalaalla are deep. The festival indicates Sidama peoples’ honor and brotherhood feeling to others. Fichee Chambalaalla is an emblem of peace and harmony. We have to capitalize on traditional values like Fichee Chambalaalla to strengthen our national peace and unity.
Ristu Yirdaw, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State President said during the festival
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 22 APRIL 2023
