BY LEULSEGED WORKU
Ethiopia is a land where several breathtaking tangible and intangible cultural, religious, and historical values are entertained freely and marked colorfully.
These values are unique to Ethiopia and some of them are registered in the lists of UNESCO. As it is known, Harar, the fourth holy city of Islam and the spiritual heart of Ethiopia’s Islamic community, has a unique festival that Hararis celebrate it after the ends of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Muslims in Harari, after the break of the main Ramadan, fast for six days; and on the 8th day, they will celebrate their unique festival- Shuwal Eid. As documents indicate, Shuwal Eid has a special place in Hararis. It is an annual gathering and feast event. The gathering held on the main squares of the city is joined by youngsters who wear colorful traditional attire. As the event is the venue to find a life partner, the annual feast is one of the eagerly awaited days in Harari.
This year’s the 1444th Shuwal Eid festival was also celebrated colorfully in the State with the theme “Shuwal Eid for peace, togetherness, and solidarity and tourism development”. Speaking on the occasion, Culture and Sport Minister, Kejela Merdassa said that among the varied cultural and historical heritages that have kept Ethiopia as one of the top destinations in the world, the early civilizations of the Harari community are mentioned in the front rows.
For this saying, the tangible and intangible fingerprints and relics of the previous Hararis are living witnesses. Mentioning the love and togetherness that the community of the Harari people and local residents have for each other and for humanity is always visible and shines like the stars, the Minister said that Harar is a city where citizens live in peace, unity and tolerance.
Appreciating the ongoing activities carried out to register Shuwal Eid festival as a World Heritage Site, the Minister said that the efforts should be continued. “The Ministry of Culture and Sport will provide the necessary support to protect and develop cultural heritages,” he assured.
Harari State Chief Administrator Ordin Bedri on his part said that “this year’s Shuwal Eid festival which we celebrate it with the theme “Shuwal Eid for peace, togetherness, and solidarity and tourism development”, will not be a holiday that we start and end it with joy and laughter like other festivals. Rather, it will be a rite that we will join hands and implement the motto in practice and turn it into tangible results.”
As to him, although it is the festival of the people of Harari, it has come out of the notion of differences and divisions; and has become a festival celebrated along with the neighboring peoples in the spirit of solidarity and brotherhood.
“Capitalizing on and developing the important values, identities, histories, attractions and heritages that we have and have had, we should use them as inputs and resources the efforts put in place to ensure our common prosperity.” Since the reform time, the State’s government has been endeavoring to elevate Harar and its people high up from their former heights and make them an example of the change and is working in an organized and concerted manner, he remarked.
On the occasion, certificates of recognition were also given to those who contributed a lot to preservation of Jegol heritage. State’s Culture, Heritage and Tourism Bureau Head Tewelda Abdosh also said that the annual Shuwal Eid festival, which the people of Harari celebrate it colorfully, in a manner keeping its cultural values; it is celebrated in a way promoting State’s original religious, historical, cultural values and other heritages and strengthening peoples’ togetherness and solidarity, Harari Government Communication Affairs Office reported.
Meanwhile, participants of the festival reflected their opinion regarding the celebration of the day. According to them, they marked Shuwal Eid festival warmly in a way keeping in line its cultural values and enhancing unity and solidarity, irrespective of any differences. The day is being celebrated at a time when efforts are ongoing to inscribe it on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, making the day special.
“The festival has given us an opportunity to know each other and promote our cultural values,” they remarked. State’s government should also further strengthen its efforts in promoting such festivals and to inscribe them on the World Heritage list of UNESCO.
The celebration of Shuwal Eid was attended by Ordin Bedrin, Chief Administrators of Harari State, Kajela Merdasa, Minister of Culture and Sports, Nabil Mahdi Ambassador Plenipotentiary of South Sudan to Ethiopia, Sultan Abdul Salam, invited guests religious fathers, elders, Aba Gedas, and residents of the State and members of the Harari community from different places and adjacent areas.
Shuwal fasting is a voluntary fasting and has significant value to substitute missed days during Ramadan. Shuwal can be fasted individually or in groups. It is said that spending the six consecutive days after Ramadan has a great value among believers. What is more, it also has a significant role for women to compensate for missing Ramadan fasting due to menstruation or other health related challenges.
In related development, on the day a cultural exhibition and festival that demonstrates the culture of Harari people was opened in Harar City in relation to the festival of Shuwal Eid. The exhibition was opened by Culture and Sport Minister Kejela Merdassa and Harari State Chief Administrator Ordin Bedri.
Likewise, a foundation for the construction of a park, where hyenas are seen fed by humans’ hands, was laid. The park is intended to be built from the money collected from “Yemedemer Tiwlid”, book, authored by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD). It is said that the park will be constructed taking into consideration the natural beauty of the area and keeping in mind the comfort of tourists.
The Ethiopian herald April 30/2023
