As Ethiopia's rainy season retreats and the landscape turns green beneath clearer skies, millions of Oromo people gather to celebrate Irreecha, a festival of thanksgiving, renewal and community.
The annual celebration marks the transition into Birraa, the new season, as communities give thanks to Waaqa, the Creator, for life, rainfall, fertility and the blessings of the season that has passed. They also pray for peace, health, prosperity and productive harvests in the months ahead.
Irreecha brings people from towns and rural communities across Ethiopia, as well as Oromo communities abroad, to rivers, lakes and other customary ceremonial sites.
The principal gatherings at Hora Finfinne in Addis Ababa and Hora Arsadi in Bishoftu draw large crowds. Participants arrive carrying freshly cut green grass and flowers, wearing traditional clothing and ornaments that express their heritage and identity.
Water has a central role in the ceremony. At the water's edge, traditional and spiritual leaders guide prayers, songs and blessings, while participants place grass and flowers in the water as an expression of gratitude.
The symbolism reflects the importance of water to life, agriculture and the environment. The ceremony connects people with the natural world and with Waaqa, acknowledging what has been received while seeking blessings for the season ahead.
Irreecha is also a celebration of Oromo cultural identity. Traditional garments, ornaments, hairstyles and accessories showcase craftsmanship passed between generations.
Women may wear Caaccuu and beads and carry Siinqee, a culturally significant symbol associated with Oromo women's identity and social role. Songs, chants and prayers accompany the ceremonies, keeping cultural knowledge alive through participation.
Abbaa Gadaas and Abbaa Malkaas, along with spiritual leaders, guide important aspects of the customary observance. Elders pass knowledge of ceremonies and traditions to younger generations, while children learn by taking part alongside their families.
Irreecha is closely connected with the Gadaa system, the indigenous Oromo system of governance and social organisation. UNESCO inscribed the Gadaa system on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.
Beyond thanksgiving, Irreecha provides an opportunity to renew relationships, strengthen family and community bonds, and reflect on values of peace and reconciliation.
Friends, relatives and communities gather together, while the emphasis on goodwill, harmony and forgiveness gives the celebration a social dimension alongside its spiritual meaning.
The festival also allows people from other Ethiopian cultural communities and visitors from abroad to encounter Oromo traditions through music, dance, clothing, food, hospitality and ceremony. Its meaning, however, comes from the communities who continue to practise and transmit it rather than from its presentation as a performance for visitors.
As the celebrations end, participants return home with the seasonal cycle continuing around them. The rains have receded, Adey flowers signal Birraa, and the landscape enters another phase.
For the Oromo people, Irreecha remains an expression of gratitude, identity and continuity. It is a moment to give thanks for what has been received, seek blessings for what lies ahead and welcome the new season with hope.
German police have detained a suspect after a major fire broke out at the historic Kehlsteinhaus, known as the “Eagle’s Nest&rdqu...
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down tr...
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday dismissed accusations that Canada planned to interfere in next month’s U.S. midterm elections, ...
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Israeli military bulldozers have begun demolishing buildings in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday, 23 October, following armed clashes with Palestinians that left two Israeli soldiers dead, according to the Israeli military.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Super typhoon Champi is set to batter Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture from Friday (23 October), bringing violent winds, torrential rain and waves up to 11 metres high, as airlines cancel flights and organisers scrap a major festival.
A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake has struck Tibet in southwestern China, killing 16 people and injuring 65, while forcing more than 12,000 residents to relocate as rescue teams respond to widespread aftershocks.
The 12th Baku International Book Fair has opened at the Baku Expo Center, bringing together writers, publishers and cultural representatives from 30 countries to promote literature and international cultural exchange.
Here are five major events bringing sport, cinema, literature and the arts to Baku this October, as Azerbaijan’s capital welcomes international talent and visitors for a packed cultural calendar.
Baku is welcoming filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts for the 17th edition of the Baku International Film Festival (BIFF), bringing together Azerbaijani and international productions. The festival began on Wednesday and will run for six days.
A former gang leader was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Tuesday for orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting death of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas, capping the prosecution of a long-unsolved murder that shaped the golden age of rap music.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 14 October 2026, featuring the top five culture and entertainment stories from around the world.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment