Ethiopia - Religious festivals and cultural events

Enjoying Visiting Ethiopia in 2023, ‘EXPERIENCE AMAZING’ Tours of Ethiopia!

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Many tourists to Ethiopia try to time their visit to coincide with the colorful festivals in Ethiopia. Meskel(that marks the finding of the True Cross), Timkat (equivalent to Epiphany) or Enkutatash (the Ethiopian New Year) are among the best events and festivals.

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Ethiopia is among the best African countries to experience unique culture and traditions. UNESCO recognized Meskel Festival and the Fitche Chambalala New Year of the Sidama people as intangible World Heritages.

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Below are some of the famous religious festivals in Ethiopia which are celebrated once a year colorfully. These public holidays are attended by thousands of locals dressed with colorful costumes.

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⭐ Now registered with UNESCO as an element of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Meskel (27 September) commemorates the alleged 4th century discovery of the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified. The Centrepiece of this uniquely Ethiopian festival is the burning of a massive conical pyre called a Damera.

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NOTE – Merkato Market is closed on Sundays. The National Museum is not open on Mondays. Some places of visits may be closed on public holidays.

The largest ceremony takes place in Addis Ababa’s Meskel Square, where hundreds of thousands of people gather to watch the colorfully dressed priests chant, pray and dance. The most historically poignant site to witness Meskel is Aksum’s Cathedral of Maryam Tsion.

• Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox equivalent to Epiphany, is celebrated at churches throughout the country on January 19. The best place to be during Timkat is Gondar, where the festivities culminate in a crowded and colorful afternoon re-enactment of the first baptism at the 17th century Fasil’s Pool, which is filled with water for the occasion.

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• A more secular occasion is Enkutatash, or Ethiopian New Year (11 September), which falls on the date that the Queen of Sheba supposedly arrived back in Aksum after having visited King Solomon in Jerusalem. It is celebrated vigorously throughout the country by people of all faiths.

• Gena or Ledet (7 January), the Ethiopian equivalent to Christmas, is preceded by an all-night vigil following 43 days of fasting that culminate. It is a family-oriented holiday, but in some areas it is marked by traditional dancing or a hockey-like game called Yegenna Chewata, supposedly played by the local shepherds on the night Jesus was born. It is traditional to eat the national dish doro wot (chicken stew) over Gena.

• The usual Islamic holidays are celebrated in Ethiopia, especially in and around Harar. At the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the first day of the month of Shewal is celebrated as Eid-al-Fitr. This is followed by six-days of fasting. The 8th day of the month of Shewal is Shewal Eid - a special Harari cultural festival, consisting of 24 hours of celebrations.
• Harar also comes alive during the Ashura ceremony, which takes place on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar.
• Important Islamic pilgrimage sites holding annual festivals include the Sof Omar Caves and Dire Sheikh Hussein in the lowlands east of the Bale Mountains.
• Other traditional festivals include the Irecha, which is celebrated by the Oromo people at Lake Hora, in Bishoftu, on the first Sunday after Meskal (September 28), and the Fiche Chambalala, the New Year celebration of the Sidama people of Hawassa.
• Note that in leap years, all Christian holidays fall a day later than normal on the Western Calendar.

Ethiopia is a great country to experience unique culture on annual authentic festivals.

Events and festivals

Colorful Cultural Events and Authentic Ethiopian Festivals

A more secular occasion is Enkutatash, or Ethiopian New Year (11 September), which falls on the date that the Queen of Sheba supposedly arrived back in Aksum after having visited King Solomon in Jerusalem. It is celebrated vigorously throughout the country by people of all faiths.

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For visiting the churches of Lalibela which are carved out of rock, two days is the minimum you need. In two days tour from Addis Ababa, you can visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Lalibela Rock Churches. Check out the details of the 2-days private tour of Lalibela Rock Churches from Addis Ababa.

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