ADDIS ABABA– Addis Ababa City Administration has recently decided to celebrate to host a nationwide celebration of traditional feasts by various nations and nationalities across the nation.
The decision comes as a bid to promote unity and cohesion among the diverse peoples of the country as well as raising the tourist attraction potential of the city, according to Addis Ababa Culture, Art and Tourism Bureau.
Among the common traditional feasts celebrated by nations include Irreecha, a traditional thanksgiving holiday of Oromo people, Ashenda, Shadey or Solel, girls’ festival in Amhara and Tigray, Fiche Chamballala, a New Year holiday of Sidama people and the Shawol Eid of Harari people.
So far only Fiche Chambelella and the Shawol Eid were celebrated in the capital, according to the bureau.
Sertse Firesebhat, Art Sector Vice-Head with the Bureau told The Ethiopian Herald that the bureau is working to introduce the celebration of Irreecha and Ashenda/ Shadey/Solel/ Ashendiye festivals in Addis Ababa jointly with the respective states where the celebrations originated.
According to Sertse celebrating traditional, religious and cultural festivals and holidays in the capital of the country is key to promote cultural plurality and initiate the people to respect each others’ culture by knowing it deeply.
The Vice head reiterated that on August 25, the Shadey/Ashendiye/Solel and on September 01, Ashenda will be celebrated by Amhara and Tigray State girls respectively at the Millennium hall here in Addis Ababa.
The final celebration would be held on September 07, by both states’ girls and collaborating with the City Administration.
“Workshops, Girl’s plays and performances on Addis streets, discussion forums on the values of the festival are part of the celebrations of the festival.”
Celebrating those cultural, traditional and religious festivals of the country in the capital helps to capitalize all values of the people, to create strong linkage among the people, to make Addis centre of festivals, Sertse said.
He also noted that these festivals would motivate cultural researchers and artists to work on Ethiopian traditional values. Investing in Ethiopian cultural values is also crucial to limit the influence of outlandish cultures that invade our endogenous cultural values, he noted.
Media Head at Press Secretariat Office of Addis Ababa Mayor Office, Bereket Takele on his part told The Ethiopian Herald that the City Administration has the vision to make Addis hub of tourism and is working to capitalize on all public and traditional festivals, religious holidays of the country in addition to expanding recreational centres like Addis River Project.
He added that by capitalizing the available cultural values and traditions of the country as the city is home to all Ethiopians, it will work to strengthen strong relation of the people and to make Addis the real home for all. And to make this happen, the city is working to create a suitable environment for all to celebrate their holidays’ and festivals in Addis Ababa.
By making this, the city plans to attract more tourist flow, to entice tourists to prolong their stay here and to attract Bole Airport transitors to visit the city.
Meanwhile, the city administration has also planned to add efforts to capitalize the well-known religious holidays celebrating in streets of Addis like Meskel, Eid-Alfatir and Ethiopian Epiphany in addition to the efforts of religious institutions, Bereket said.
Addis Ababa is also working to open the Addis Ababa Convention Center aiming to make the city centre of conferences with standard halls, hospitality services and protocol, according to Bereket.
The Ethiopian Herald August 10, 2019
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
