Preparations for Irreechaa festival finalized: Oromia Region

Addis Ababa, October 5, 2023 (FBC) – Addis Ababa city is intensifying its preparations for the upcoming Irreechaa Hora-Finfinne, as the capital is preparing the festival’s celebration main sites.

It is known that the Oromo people celebrate Irrecha to thank Waaqa (God) for the blessings and mercies they have received in the past year.

The festival is celebrated in different localities across Oromia Region. But at the national level, it is an event that brings millions of Oromos and non-Oromos from all over the country and abroad.

Accordingly, the site preparation for Hora-Finfinne was carried out this morning in the presence of Addis Ababa City Deputy Mayor, Tratu Beyene and other government officials, Abbaa Gadaas, Haadha-Siinqees, elders, youth and and representatives of various ethnicities.

The concerted site preparation demonstrates solidaity, said Mr. Tratu while addressing the participants.

Irreechaa festival is a time of peace, togetherness, meeting different people, and above all, a place where the creator is praised, he said, calling for further solidarity in buttressing unanimity while celebrating the event.

Ethiopia is home to multiple values, he said, adding that the potentials of those values should be nututred ​​properly in view of unity and development.

Meanwhile, Oromia Region Communication Bureau today confirmed that preparations for the 2016 E.C Irreechaa Festival that will be celebrated in the capital as Hora Finfinne and Hora Harsade in Bishoftu area have been finalized.

In his statement in connection with the 2016 Irrecha Festival, Oromia Communication Bureau Head Hailu Adugna said the festival will be celebrated in both places under the motto “Irrecha:  Symbol of Unity and Brotherhood.”

According to him, Irrecha is a festival of peace and reconciliation where the Oromo people pay gratitude to the creator.

It is also a symbol of unity, he stressed.

The head noted that the celebration of Irrecha festival is becoming more attractive as it is becoming a business and tourism attraction.

Hailu further urged participants to celebrate the event by protecting the value and culture of the festival and in a manner that strengthens unity among the people in the country.

Since the Gadaa System has been registered as one of the intangible world cultural heritages by UNESCO, the festival is embraced by the international community at large, encouraging the tourism industry of Ethiopia.

The festival introduces a vibrant array of colors that makes it one of the most beautiful street festivals among Oromos and other nations and nationalities of the country.

The fine attire of the participants is one of the many unique aspects of the festival, and people of all ages and cultural backgrounds come to the occasion dressed in show-stopping finery.

The bureau head stated that Irrecha is a festival of thanksgiving, forgiveness and optimism.