What is Ashenda festival?

Ashenda, Ashendiye or Solel (ኣሸንዳ) is a colorful girls’ festival celebrated in Ethiopia and South Eritrea among the Tigray, Agaw, Amhara, Tigranyas ethnic groups. The holiday started as a religious one, but evoluved to a cultural one celebrated by girls of all religious backgrounds.

second, What is Meskel celebration?

Meskel is a festival in celebration of Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, finding the true cross upon which Jesus was crucified. Mirrored in many ways by Ash Wednesday in the west, the festival competes for top billing and is considered the most important festival for the laity and ordained alike.

subsequently, What is Fichee Chambalaalla?

Fichee-Chambalaalla is a New Year festival celebrated among the Sidama people. … During the festival, clan leaders advise the Sidama people to work hard, respect and support the elders, and abstain from cutting down indigenous trees, begging, indolence, false testimony and theft.

then What is the culture of Tigray? The Tigray-Tigrinya have a rich heritage of music and dance, using drums and stringed instruments tuned to a pentatonic scale. Secular music are performed by traditional artisan castes, while religious music and iconic art is performed by the Ethiopian Orthodox cast.

What is Amhara culture?

The Amhara culture is patriarchal and authoritarian, emphasizing the superiority of the male over the female. The Amhara people historically had an imperialistic, militant, and expansionist government led by highly capable emperors directing armies with superior military strategies.

What is fasika in Ethiopia?

“Fasika” is the Amharic word for Easter, and refers to the 55-days where Ethiopians celebrate their most important festival of the year. This festival, which celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is one of the most longstanding within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

What is demera in Ethiopia?

Demera is one of the events that happen on the eve of the Ethiopian Meskel Festival. It is a burning of a bonfire. On the day, the celebrants ignite fire to the bundle of sticks together and let the smoke fly high up in the sky.

What is Epiphany in Ethiopia?

Ethiopian epiphany is a colourful festival celebrated all over Ethiopia to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. The commemoration starts on the eve of the main festival on 18 January. … Hundreds of thousands participate in the actual festival on the following day – 19 January.

What is Sidama history?

The Sidama people are the Cushitic language speaking indigenous inhabitants of northeast Africa closely related to Oromo, Somali, Beja, Afar, Agew, Hadiya, and several other Cushite in the region. … The Sidama history, culture and political economy epitomizes this largely forgotten ancient African civilization.

What is Irreecha Oromo culture?

Irreecha has widely been celebrated by Oromo people for a long period of time. … It is a ritual ceremony in which Oromos worship and praise “Waaqa”(which means God). Moreover, it enables Oromos to be united (strengthen unity), make conciliation among conflicting groups and promote their culture.

How many intangible heritage are there in Ethiopia?

Meskel, Gada System and Fiche Chambalala are the three intangible heritages of Ethiopia inscribed by UNESCO.

What is the main religion in Tigray?

The Tigray are a sedentary agricultural people. Most, along with the neighbouring Amhara people, are adherents of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo (Coptic) Church or the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

What is the major religion in Tigray?

They are mainly Christian and members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (approximately 96%), with a small minority of Muslims, Catholics and Protestants. The predominantly Tigrayan populated urban centers in Ethiopia are found within the Tigray Region in towns including Mekelle, Adwa, Axum, Adigrat, and Shire.

Where are Tigray refugees?

Eritrean Refugees in the Tigray Region

Many were in the northern Tigray region, bordering Eritrea, in four camps, with approximately 20,000 in Hitsats and Shimelba in northwestern Tigray and about 31,000 in Mai Aini and Adi Harush camps in southern Tigray.

What Tigray means?

or Tigray (ˈtiːɡreɪ) noun. 1. an autonomous region of N Ethiopia, bordering on Eritrea: formerly a separate kingdom.

Are Tigray and Amhara the same?

The Amhara, along with the Tigray peoples, are the principal adherents of this church. … All except one of the country’s emperors from 1270 to 1974 were Amhara; this dominance created competitive quarrels between the Amhara and their northern neighbours, the Tigray, and other Ethiopian ethnic groups, such as the Oromo.

What is marriage in Ethiopia?

The legal age of marriage in Ethiopia is 18 years for both girls and boys, but these laws are not always enforced. The rate of child marriages has declined significantly over the past decades. However, according to UNICEF’s 2017 estimate, 40% of girls are married before the age of 18.

How do you say Happy Easter in Ethiopia?

In Amharic, Melkam Fasika means Happy Easter.

What is Santa called in Ethiopia?

Santa Claus is a fairly recent visitor to Ethiopia, only being known about through ‘western’ Christmas traditions. In the Amharic language, Father Christmas or Santa Claus is called ‘Yágena Abãt’ which means ‘Christmas Father’.

Why do Ethiopian Orthodox fast?

For Ethiopians, religion and fasting inhabits a realm of faith and spirituality which many in the West can’t fathom nowadays. “Official theology teaches fasting is needed to come closer to God by repressing the flesh,” says Makonnen, an Orthodox Church deacon.

Where Is the True Cross in Ethiopia?

The Ethiopia True Cross festival is held in Meskel Square (named after the festival) in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Every year on September 26th, thousands of Ethiopians descend on the space dressed in colourful robes.

Does the Ethiopian Orthodox Church believe in Jesus?

Additionally, unlike many other Christians, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church believes that Jesus Christ has one nature that is solely divine, instead of two that are both divine and human. “The Ethiopian Church goes down from King Solomon,” the Rev. Gebra Mariam, speaking in Amharic, said through an interpreter.

Is Irrecha in Unesco?

Meskel, Gada System and Fiche Chambalala are the three intangible heritages of Ethiopia inscribed by UNESCO. Meskel and Irrecha are celebrated in the first month of the new year just in weeks one after the other. … UNESCO Office in Addis Ababa supported both celebrations in Addis Ababa.