(Finfinnee, Oromia, 4 October 2026)-In a breathtaking display of spiritual devotion and cultural pride, the Abbaa Gadaas — the traditional leaders of the Oromo Gadaa system — performed their sacred blessing ritual and set off toward Hora Arsadi, transforming a festival procession into a profound statement of national unity, reconciliation, and hope.

The Procession Begins

The moment arrives. The Abbaa Gadaas — custodians of an ancient democratic and spiritual system recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — have completed their blessing ceremony. Now, they begin their journey toward Hora Arsadi, the sacred waters where millions will gather for Irreechaa.

But this is no ordinary procession. What unfolds is a spectacle that transcends celebration itself. It is a living testament to a deeper national meaning — one that speaks to every Ethiopian, regardless of ethnicity, language, or faith.

As the Abbaa Gadaas move toward the water, their qotee — the traditional staff of office — held high, their voices raised in prayer and blessing, they are not merely leading a festival. They are leading a nation toward reconciliation.

Irreechaa: More Than a Cultural Treasure

Irreechaa is the great festival of thanksgiving to Waaqa — the Creator — observed by the Oromo people for thousands of years. But to describe it as merely a cultural celebration would be to miss its profound significance.

Irreechaa is a banquet of peace, love, and reconciliation where all Ethiopians gather as one.

It is a time when divisions dissolve. When grievances are set aside. When the shared humanity of all people is recognized and honored. When the nation remembers that it is not a collection of separate peoples but a single family.

This is what makes Irreechaa exceptional. It is not just a festival of one people. It is a gathering of all peoples — a national moment of unity that transcends the boundaries of ethnicity and region.

The Blessing at Hora Arsadi

The image is unforgettable.

The Abbaa Gadaas stand at the edge of Hora Arsadi, their qotee held in their hands, their voices rising in a chorus of blessing. They are not just speaking to the crowd before them. They are speaking to the entire nation.

The message they declare is a call for forgiveness and unity directed at all the peoples of Ethiopia.

It is a call that echoes across the waters. It is a call that rises above the noise of politics and division. It is a call that says: We are one. Let us be reconciled. Let us forgive one another. Let us stand together.

When the Abbaa Gadaas invoke peace, they are not performing a ritual. They are issuing a national invitation. And the invitation is extended not only to the Oromo people but to every Ethiopian, of every background, in every corner of the country.

The Beauty of Ethiopia’s Diversity

The greatness of a nation is measured by the mosaic created when different cultures, languages, and values come together.

This is Ethiopia. A nation of extraordinary diversity. A nation of many peoples, many tongues, many traditions. And yet, a nation that finds its strength precisely in this diversity — in the beauty of its multicolored fabric.

When citizens from different corners of the country gather at Irreechaa, they do something remarkable. They transcend their differences. They clothe themselves in traditional garments. They stand together in unity.

This is what the festival shows. Not a nation divided by its diversity, but a nation strengthened by it. Not a people separated by their differences, but a people enriched by them.

At the water’s edge, the Ethiopian people demonstrate their unity and their strength. They show that they can overcome their differences and come together in a single act of thanksgiving. They show that the fabric of the nation is not frayed but woven — tightly, beautifully, inextricably.

Building a Prosperous and Peaceful Tomorrow

The national vision is clear. It is a vision of an Ethiopia that is prosperous and peaceful. An Ethiopia that has moved beyond division and conflict. An Ethiopia that has learned to love rather than hate, to unite rather than separate, to forgive rather than remember grievances.

The spirit of Irreechaa is part of this vision. It is a manifestation of this vision. It is the concrete expression of the national consensus and understanding that we must build together.

To build this tomorrow, we must first create national consensus. We must eliminate hatred. We must plant love. We must begin from a foundation of shared respect and mutual understanding.

The Irreechaa values — peace, reconciliation, brotherhood — are not abstract ideals. They are the building blocks of a new Ethiopia. And the Abbaa Gadaas, as they move toward the water, are the living embodiment of these values.

A Festival Where Grudges Are Forgotten and Enemies Reconcile

Among all Ethiopian festivals, Irreechaa holds a unique distinction.

It is a celebration where grudges are forgotten. Where revenge is abandoned. Where the quarrelsome are reconciled.

The festival requires that participants set aside their resentments before approaching the sacred waters. It demands that reconciliation be pursued before thanksgiving can be offered. It insists that love be chosen over hate.

This is why Irreechaa is not merely a celebration. It is a spiritual technology — an ancient mechanism for healing the wounds of a divided community.

And it is because of this that we need the values of this festival now more than ever.

Why We Need Irreechaa Now More Than Ever

Our nation has faced challenges. We have known conflict. We have known division. We have known the pain of fractured relationships and unhealed wounds.

But we also have a national vision — a vision of a great Ethiopia, a prosperous Ethiopia, a peaceful Ethiopia. And to achieve that vision, we need Irreechaa more than we ever have before.

We need its spirit of reconciliation. We need its call for forgiveness. We need its insistence on unity. We need its reminder that we are all one people, gathered at the same water, seeking the same blessings.

The challenges we face are not insurmountable. The division we experience is not permanent. The hatred we encounter is not the final word. But to overcome these things, we must embrace the values that Irreechaa embodies. We must practice reconciliation. We must choose forgiveness. We must build unity.

The Abbaa Gadaas, as they descend toward the water, show us the way.

The Lesson of Humility, Gratitude, and Peace

The Abbaa Gadaas demonstrate a path that is humility, gratitude, and peace.

They do not come with power. They come with humility.

They do not demand. They give thanks.

They do not divide. They unite.

The path they walk is a great lesson for all of us who seek to build national consensus. It teaches us that leadership is not about dominance but about service. It teaches us that gratitude is the foundation of community. It teaches us that peace is not simply the absence of war but the presence of reconciliation.

The Abbaa Gadaas, as they walk toward the water, are not just leading a ceremony. They are teaching a nation. They are showing us what leadership looks like. They are demonstrating what reconciliation requires.

Walking the Path of Peace

And now, the invitation comes to all of us.

The values of Irreechaa — peace, reconciliation, brotherhood — must penetrate our hearts. They must not remain at the water’s edge when the festival ends. They must travel home with us. They must enter our homes, our workplaces, our communities, our politics.

We must support one another. We must respect one another. We must receive our differences as gifts.

This is how we will show the greatness of Ethiopia in practice. Not through words, but through actions. Not through declarations, but through relationships.

The Abbaa Gadaas have shown us the way. They have walked the path of humility, gratitude, and peace. They have shown us that it is possible to set aside differences and come together in a common celebration of life.

Now, it is our turn.

A Nation United at the Water’s Edge

As the Abbaa Gadaas reach Hora Arsadi, as the blessings are pronounced and the prayers rise, as the waters receive the gratitude of millions, we are all witnesses.

We witness a festival that is more than a festival.

We witness a celebration that is more than a celebration.

We witness a nation, diverse and beautiful, coming together in a single act of thanks.

The Abbaa Gadaas have led the way. The invitation has been extended. The path is clear.

Now, we must all follow.

Let the spirit of Irreechaa enter every heart. Let reconciliation take root in every community. Let unity become the foundation of our national life.

Let us build a prosperous and peaceful Ethiopia together — one act of reconciliation at a time, one relationship at a time, one heart at a time.

Baga Irreechaa nagaan geessan.

May the Irreechaa arrive in peace.

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