Annual Religious Events and Festivals in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa & Regions)

The following list presents the religious festivals and events celebrated every year in Ethiopian following the country's unique Calendar (September to August)

The Meskel Orthodox Christians Celebration (September)

Meskel is an annual celebration among Ethiopian Orthodox Christians that is memorial of the discovery of the True Cross by Queen Helena in the 4th century as it is a major element of the Orthodox Church history. The celebration involves bonfire and prayer songs by deacons and priests from various orthodox churches of Addis Ababa. In Addis Ababa, Meskel celebration takes place at the Meskel square, which attracts many western tourists and it is time for display of religious reverence and celebration.

The Erecha Ritual of Oromos at Bishoftu (October)

Oromos are numerically the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. Oromos have an annual ritual of celebrating nature and thanksgiving to their god the creator called Waqa. The celebration involves making offerings on designated big tree and making recitations of good wish, blessing and sprinkling what is considered holy water on the participants.

Erecha is celebrated in many parts of Ethiopia and the most popular one takes place at Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) town 44km south-east of Addis Ababa and by the shores of Lake Hora. Jimma town is another place of Erecha. This ritual is also an occasion where Oromo people of Christian, Muslim and Animist faith groups come together to participate in the ceremony. This ceremony is getting increasing popularity among international tourist and this is the case partly because of the availability of many lodge and hotel facilities in the town of Debre Zeit and its proximity to Addis Ababa.

The Timket /Epiphany/ Celebration (January)

Every Year, January 19 or 20 on leap year, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians celebrate epiphany, which marks the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River as it is mentioned in the Bible. This celebration is where church songs and traditional dance can be observed in such places as Addis Ababa, Lalibella and Gonder City.

 

Cultural Festivals & Events in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa & Regions)

These are ritual and practices yearly carried out among various ethnic groups for cultural, social and traditional reasons

The Bull Jumping Ritual of Hamers (July-September)

The Hamers are one of the tribal communities of the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. They are popular for their distinctive initiation ceremony to their young men before they marry. The ceremony involves walking on the back of cattle, a row of up to 10 bulls stand side by side and aligned by the friends of the young bridegroom. The practice is used as a sign of good luck if the young man successfully crosses four times. Otherwise, he trys again a year later.

The Youngsters Stick Fighting - Surma (July-August)

The Surma people of Omo valley in Ethiopia have a ritual among men that is not for the faint-hearted. But for the Surma people, it is a time-honored tradition where men competitively prove their vigor and physical might through stick fight known as Donga. The stick fighters are often single young men and they prepare their stick well before the ceremony.

During the ritual, the fighters aim at their adversary and try to score as much point as possible. A win is a knock out and the fighters are not allowed to murder their opponent. A winner gets more social approval and a group of unmarried girls pick one among them and required the heroic winner. Read more

 

Other Festivals & Events in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa & Regions)

The following events are among the major and modern events in Ethiopia particularly Addis Ababa. The events involve art and sport.

The Ethiopian Music Festival (Local & International Bands)

Starting from 2001 Mr Heruy Arefeaine Francis Falceto and Lucien Roux (then the Alliance Ethio-Francaise director), the Ethiopian Music Festival has been taking place yearly at the Alliance Ethio-Francaise in Addis Ababa. This festival features local and international bands as well as traditional instrument players from Ethiopia. So far international bands like uKanDanz from France and popular artists like Fred Escoffier and Lionel Martin had took part. This festival is ideal to experience Ethiopian traditional music instruments like washint (Ethiopian flute), the kebero (Ethiopian drums), the mesenqo (single stringed fiddle) and kirar (acoustic harp).

The annual Ethiopian Music Festival is often open to the public free of charge and is accompanied by complementary events at such distinguished places as the Goethe Institute, Alliance Ethio-Francaise, National Theatre, and Club Alize. More on events @ the Alliance Ethio-Francaise

The annual Great Ethiopian Run (October-December)

This event is organized by Great Ethiopian Run, which is an independent non-governmental organization operating in Ethiopia since 2001. The organization has a mission of staging mass-participation athletic competitions in Ethiopia. The annual Great Ethiopian Run has the legendary athlete Haile Gebre Selassie as its icon and the event has been adorned by local community, expats and international participants. This event is not only a good chance to mingle with Addis residents but also serves as a platform of helping the needy via fund raising for example. Most of all, you enjoy the cheerful and noisy crowd running in various distance and gender race categories. More on the Great Ethiopian Run