By Maatii Sabaa

The green grass that floated on the sacred waters of Hora Arsadi this week carried more than prayers for the harvest. It carried the weight of a people’s history — and a future still being written.

As the spring sun broke through the receding clouds of Ganna, millions of Oromo people gathered across Ethiopia and the world to celebrate Irreechaa celebration in 1959, the ancient thanksgiving festival marking the transition from the dark rainy season to the bright season of Birraa. From the shores of Lake Harsadi in Bishoftu to community parks in Melbourne and Amsterdam, the festival unfolded as both a spiritual ritual and a declaration of cultural resilience.

The Festival of Light Over Darkness

Irreechaa — sometimes spelled Irreechaa or Irrecha — is the Oromo thanksgiving to Waaqa (God) for protection through the rainy season and for the blessings of the year ahead. The festival is deeply rooted in the Gadaa system, the traditional Oromo governance structure recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The word itself carries profound meaning. Irreechaa is described as a “sign of reciprocating Waaqaa in the form of providing praise for what they got in the past, and is also a forum of prayer for the future”. It is not merely a celebration of a season’s turn — it is the moral heartbeat of a people.

Two Sacred Days, One Unifying Spirit

This year’s observance followed the traditional two-day structure set by the union of Oromo Abbaa Gadaa leaders:

Hora Finfinne: Reclaiming the Heart of the Capital

On Saturday, October 3, 2026, the celebration began at Hora Finfinne in Addis Ababa, marking a significant historical moment. For decades, public celebrations of Irreechaa were banned under successive regimes, and the Oromo people were denied the right to give thanks at their own sacred sites. The site now known as Finfinne was originally named for this very lake — a sacred geography that the construction of the capital attempted to overwrite.

Celebrating Irreechaa at Hora Finfinne is, in the words of one observer, “not just a cultural act; it is a powerful reclamation of space, identity, and dignity”.

Hora Arsadi: The World’s Stage

On Sunday, October 4, the festival moved to its grandest location: Hora Arsadi in Bishoftu, approximately 45 kilometers south of Finfinne. This crater lake has been the central site of Irreechaa for generations, drawing millions of participants from across Oromia and the global diaspora.

The scale of the gathering is staggering. In recent years, international media have broadcast images of hundreds of thousands — sometimes millions — of people dressed in traditional white attire moving with purpose and joy toward the water. It is recognized as one of the largest annual human gatherings on the African continent.

The Rituals of Renewal

At the heart of Irreechaa lies a simple yet profound act: the dipping of fresh green grass and yellow daisies into sacred waters.

Participants carry bundles of freshly cut grass — symbols of fertility, life, and renewal — to the lakeshore. At the water’s edge, they dip the grass into the lake, sprinkle themselves and those around them, and leave the offerings in the water. The shallows fill with green, a visible testament to collective prayer.

The grass itself carries deep symbolism. Green represents life and vitality; yellow daisies represent the joy of survival through the hardship of the rains. Water represents purification — the washing away of the past year’s difficulties.

Traditional songs, known as sirba, echo across the valley. Elders lead prayers in Afaan Oromoo. Women, adorned in traditional caaccuu beads and cultural dress, walk in procession. Youth sprinkle water as a gesture of blessing.

Reconciliation as Moral Requirement

One of the most striking aspects of Irreechaa is its demand for araaraa — reconciliation.

“Critical to Irreechaa is the requirement of reconciliation,” wrote one commentator observing the diaspora celebrations. “A person carrying a grudge, a dispute, or an unresolved conflict is not permitted to participate fully in the festival”.

This is not merely social etiquette. It is a profound statement of the Oromo moral order: gratitude and grievance cannot coexist. One cannot approach the sacred with a heavy heart. One cannot give thanks while holding anger. The festival enforces a communal ethic that prioritizes harmony over division.

The social roles of Irreechaa extend beyond the spiritual. The festival plays a “pivotal role in strengthening the unity of the people, promoting and exchanging cultures among the society, forcing elders to keep peace in the community”. Social rules are confirmed on the Irreechaa stage, and those who engage in evil are blamed and cursed while those who do good are appreciated and accepted.

A Nation in Transition

This year’s Irreechaa unfolded against a backdrop of significant national developments.

In Addis Ababa, the city has undergone dramatic transformation through urban corridor development projects. Expanded pedestrian and vehicle roads now welcome millions to the sacred sites, and Hora Arsadi Lake has been enhanced to make it more comfortable and accessible for festival-goers.

Genet Mekonnen, Head of the Bishoftu City Culture and Tourism Office, emphasized that Irreechaa “stands as a core symbol of brotherhood, peace, unity, freedom, and equality.” She noted that the festival’s inclusion of various Ethiopian nations, nationalities, and peoples — all participating in vibrant traditional attire — is “crucial for fostering people-to-people connection, strengthening solidarity, and enhancing a deep sense of national togetherness”.

The city’s goal, she added, is to become a major tourism destination, with comprehensive development efforts underway to accommodate the influx of visitors for this cultural landmark.

Beyond Borders: Irreechaa in the Diaspora

The Oromo diaspora ensured that Irreechaa celebration in 1959 was celebrated far beyond the Horn of Africa.

In Melbourne, Australia, hundreds gathered at the Botanical Gardens on September 27, 2026. Dressed in beautiful cultural attire, community members carried fresh green grass and flowers to the water’s edge, dipping them in the traditional manner — giving thanks that they had passed through the past year safely.

“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,” reported one attendee.

In Amsterdam, the Oromo community of the Netherlands gathered at Gaasperplas. Women in traditional dresses carried fresh green grass and yellow daisies; elders led prayers in Afaan Oromoo; and the sound of faaruu — traditional songs of gratitude — echoed across the park grounds.

For the diaspora, Irreechaa serves as a vital cultural anchor. “Irreechaa is a reminder that the Oromo system is portable. It travels across oceans. It survives in new climates and new languages. It does not require the soil of Oromia to flourish — only the hearts of Oromo people who refuse to forget”.

The Enduring Symbol

As the celebrations drew to a close and the green grass settled on the waters of Hora Arsadi, the meaning of Irreechaa celebration in 1959 resonated beyond the rituals.

The festival represents the “triumph of light over darkness” — not merely the seasonal transition from rainy Ganna to bright Birraa, but the enduring resilience of a people who have preserved their traditions through centuries of suppression.

The words of the Abbaa Gadaa leaders framed this year’s observance around national consensus — a theme that echoed across the lakeshores and diaspora gatherings alike.

For the Oromo people, Irreechaa is more than a festival. It is an expression of identity, a bond of unity, and a living link between generations. It is the moment when the past and present meet — where children learn the songs their grandparents sang, where elders see their traditions carried forward, and where a people remember, together, who they are.

As one celebrant in Addis Ababa put it: “What makes this year’s Irreechaa festival special is the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the various development projects across the country. The ceremony in Addis Ababa city with wide roads and shining streets makes it special”.

But beyond the infrastructure and the politics, the heart of Irreechaa remains unchanged: a people giving thanks to Waaqa, carrying green grass to sacred waters, and reaffirming the bonds that have held them together for millennia.

Irreechi irree keenya — Irreechaa is our unity.

Irreechaa celebration in 1959
October 3-4, 2026
Finfinne & Bishoftu