By Dhabessa Wakjira

MELBOURNE, 27 September 2026 — The Oromo community in Melbourne today celebrated Irreechaa, the traditional Oromo thanksgiving festival, in a vibrant and beautiful ceremony at the Botanical Gardens, bringing together hundreds of community members in a powerful display of culture, faith, and unity.

The celebration began with traditional blessings, and members of the community participated in the event in large numbers, dressed in beautiful cultural attire. Mr. Abdeta Homaa, Chairman of the Irreechaa Festival Committee, welcomed the gathered community with a speech of welcome, saying “Baga nagaan dhuftan” — welcome, and may you have arrived in peace.

A Sea of Color and Tradition

From children to elders, attendees were resplendent in traditional Oromo clothing, the colors and scents of the festival filling the air. Carrying fresh green grass and flowers — the symbols of Irreechaa — community members walked to the water’s edge, dipping the grass into the water in the traditional manner, giving thanks that they had passed through the past year safely and reached the spring season.

The sight of families in their finest cultural dress, the sound of traditional songs, and the shared prayers created an atmosphere of joy and reverence that echoed celebrations back home in Oromia.

A Time for Gratitude and Prayer

Irreechaa is not only a time to give thanks for what has passed, but also a moment to pray to Waaqa (God) for a peaceful passage through what lies ahead. The Oromo people, found across the world, are known for celebrating Irreechaa together in a shared and unified manner.

The festival has been celebrated by the Oromo for generations, preserved through years of oppression and systemic subjugation, and passed down to the present generation. Irreechaa is celebrated as the festival that marks the transition from the rainy season to the spring — from Ganna to Birraa.

Resilience in the Diaspora

The Melbourne celebration stands as a testament to the resilience of Oromo culture and the community’s determination to keep its traditions alive far from home.

Despite the distance from their ancestral homeland, Oromos in Australia have ensured that Irreechaa remains a living, breathing tradition — not merely a memory. The Botanical Gardens became a sacred space where gratitude met hope, and where tradition triumphed over distance.

A Community United

As the Melbourne celebration drew to a close, the message was unmistakable: Irreechaa is more than a festival — it is an expression of identity, a bond of unity, and a living link between generations.

For the Oromo community in Melbourne, the Botanical Gardens became a place where the past and present met — where children learned the songs their grandparents sang, where elders saw their traditions carried forward, and where a people far from home remembered, together, who they are.

Baga Irreechaa nagaan geessan! — May the Irreechaa have arrived in peace.

The Oromo community in Melbourne celebrates Irreechaa annually, welcoming all who wish to share in its traditions of gratitude, reconciliation, and unity.