Cultural Post #4

[Melale Hailu]

Ireecha is a traditional holiday celebrated by the Oromo people towards the end of September or the start of October. It is meant to mark the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the harvest season. This transition is significant because in Ethiopia generally the winter, which occurs during the U.S. summer season, is thought of as a difficult time for the people. One main reason is that families are unable to see one another during the rainy and winter season because it is challenging to travel internally. Therefore, Ireecha is meant to be a time when the Oromo people thank the Creator, Waaqa in Afaan Oromo, for getting them past this arduous time and allowing them to see the bright days that await them ahead. However, the people also use Ireecha to thank the Creator for the blessings of the rainy season, which brings new life to the land and sustains their crops and livestock. Although I knew about the holiday before, I learned more deeply about it after getting closer with my cousin who is a yearly adamant celebrator of the holiday. He showed me videos of all the times he has celebrated and it was beautiful to see the holiday come to life via his phone screen. The holiday is celebrated in outdoor locations such as rivers, lakes, and mountains, which are considered sacred by the Oromo people. The celebration involves various rituals and activities, including prayers, songs, dances, and the offering of grass and flowers as a symbol of gratitude to Waaqaa. The community also engages in communal feasting, where they share food and drink as a way of promoting unity and solidarity. As you can see in the pictures below, millions of people gather at a lake, hora in Afaan Oromo, and engage in celebratory practices there. Interestingly, one of the main places this festival is celebrated is in the town my mother was born and raised and where my grandparents still live in. I hope to one day attend. Furthermore, this act of prioritizing nature, God’s unaltered creation, is an effort to strengthen their bond with the Creator Waaqa and their ancestors. Tragically, in the 2016 Bishofto festival, a result of ineffective security forces, up to 300 festivalgoers were killed in a stampede. All in all, I believe that Ireecha serves as a reminder of the value of traditional practices and the need to preserve cultural heritage in the face of modernization and globalization. As we continue to advance technologically and socially, it is essential to remember the traditions and customs that have sustained our communities for generations.