🔗 Share this article Selfies as well as Melodies as Ethiopians Celebrate Thanksgiving Countless individuals of colorfully attired participants converged in downtown Addis Ababa for the annual Irreecha event during recent days. The festival is honored by the Oromo community, the predominant ethnic group, and occurs at the completion of the nation's main monsoon period. Every year, festival-goers come together around holy water bodies to show appreciation to their divine beings for the fertile landscape that the rains have delivered. "I've been celebrating the festival for the past nine years," mentioned young adult Moata Abdulmajid. "In my view, this event embodies my heritage, it reflects the pride and importance of my ethnic group." Males, ladies, the senior citizens and the young all take part, adorned in attention-grabbing garments and accessories. They sing, perform traditional dances, exchange narratives and place newly gathered foliage and blossoms in water - representing vitality, regeneration and aspiration. Global Participation The celebration brings in participants from throughout the country, attendees fly in from globally. "I visited a year ago - it was so good, so magnificent, I invited my kids with me currently," expressed an international guest, hailing from Belfast in Northern Ireland. "It's wonderful. Everyone wants to say hello, everyone wants to give you a kiss and expresses hospitality." Event Schedule The initial day of the celebration occurred on the weekend in Addis Ababa. On the next day, festival-goers journeyed to Bishoftu, a small town close to the capital. Even though this celebration has its roots in indigenous faith systems, it is now observed by the bulk of the community, irrespective of their religion. Recent Trends In the recent years, the number of people joining the festival has grown significantly. This is partly due to the expansion of digital platforms, where numerous younger generation document their outfits, dance moves and singing during the festival. Past Significance In the past, Irreecha was functioned as a venue for anti-government protests - the ethnic group have consistently raised issues about political and economic marginalisation. However, the recent event unfolded peacefully, with an priority on joy, unity and cultural pride.