While the vibrant gathering at Irreechaa is a powerful climax, its true significance unfolds in the days and weeks that follow. For the Oromo community, the festival’s close marks the beginning of a period dedicated to reinforcing its profound messages of peace, gratitude, and harmony through meaningful traditions and personal reflection.
The lasting impact of Irreechaa is felt through several key practices:
Strengthening Social Bonds: The festival sparks a wave of community connection. Families and neighbors gather for shared meals and traditional coffee ceremonies, repairing bonds and expressing gratitude for peaceful reunions.
Sustaining Gratitude: The spirit of thanksgiving continues at home, with prayers for the new season’s blessings. Many host intimate gatherings to reflect on the central themes of Araaraa (reconciliation), Nagaa (peace), and Walooma (harmony).
Passing Down Wisdom: Elders take a central role, sharing stories and blessings to guide the youth. This intergenerational dialogue ensures the continuity of Oromo heritage and cultural values.
Inspiring Action: The festival’s values often catalyze community initiatives. Groups organize to support cultural preservation, social projects, and youth engagement, actively promoting Oromummaa (Oromo identity) throughout the year.
Deepening Nature Connection: In a direct extension of Irreechaa’s reverence for the environment, many visit sacred sites for quiet contemplation, strengthening their spiritual bond with the natural world.
These enduring traditions demonstrate that Irreechaa is far more than a single event. It is a living culture that continuously nurtures identity, fosters unity, and sets a positive intention for the year ahead.
After the Irreechaa celebration, several meaningful activities and reflections typically follow, both for individuals and for the wider Oromo community. These actions help reinforce the festival’s spiritual, cultural, and communal outcomes.
The Lasting Spirit of Irreechaa: Meaningful Traditions That Extend Beyond the Festival While the vibrant gathering of Irreechaa is a powerful climax, its true significance often unfolds in the days and weeks that follow.
For the Oromo community, the festival’s close marks the beginning of a period dedicated to reinforcing its profound spiritual, cultural, and communal messages through a series of meaningful activities and personal reflections.
Strengthening Social Fabric- A central post-festival focus is on deepening connections. Attendees often spend quality time with family, friends, and neighbors, sharing meals and participating in traditional coffee ceremonies. These gatherings are a time to express gratitude for peaceful reunions and to fortify the social bonds that may have been strained during the rainy season, weaving the community closer together.
Sustaining Gratitude and Reflection- The spirit of thanksgiving does not end with the festival’s final prayer. Individuals and families frequently continue their expressions of gratitude at home, offering prayers for the blessings of the new season, continued peace, and good health. Some may host intimate follow-up gatherings to reflect on the central themes of Araaraa (reconciliation), Nagaa (peace), and Walooma (harmony) that were central to the Irreechaa celebration.
Passing Down Wisdom to the Next Generation- Elders play a crucial role in the post-Irreechaa period by sharing their wisdom and providing blessings.
They offer guidance for the year ahead, drawing on lessons from the festival and ensuring the continuity of Oromo heritage. This cultural transmission often occurs through storytelling in homes and community centers, directly engaging and inspiring the youth.
Keeping Cultural Expression Alive The energy of Irreechaa often spills over into continued cultural performances. Music, dance, and other traditional arts may persist, particularly in larger urban centers and diaspora communities. These expressions serve to foster pride, entertain families, and prolong the celebratory atmosphere, ensuring the culture remains dynamic and vibrant long after the main event.
Channeling Inspiration into Action– This period also serves as a catalyst for community-minded initiatives. Inspired by the festival’s values, groups often organize meetings to discuss how to support cultural preservation, social projects, and youth engagement. Associations, especially those in the diaspora, may evaluate the recent celebration and plan for the future, actively promoting Oromummaa (Oromo national identity and consciousness) throughout the coming year.
Deepening the Connection with Nature-In a continuation of Irreechaa’s spiritual connection to the environment, some families or groups extend their stay to visit other sacred sites or natural destinations. This time is used for quiet contemplation, relaxation, and strengthening bonds with nature, embodying the festival’s core reverence for the natural world.
Summary of Post-Irreechaa Activities Activity Purpose Reconnecting with Community & Family Strengthen social bonds and share festival experiences.
Continued Prayers & Thanksgiving Express ongoing gratitude for peace, health, and blessings. Elders’ Blessings & Storytelling Transmit cultural wisdom and guide the next generation. Ongoing Cultural Performances Foster pride and keep the cultural spirit alive. Reflection & Community Projects Plan future cultural, social, and developmental activities. Visits to Sacred & Natural Sites Reconnect with nature and engage in spiritual contemplation.
These enduring traditions demonstrate that Irreechaa is far more than a single-day event. Its significance ripples outward, continuously nurturing cultural identity, fostering unity, and helping to set positive intentions for the year ahead.
Thousands gathered in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, to celebrate the East African country’s thanksgiving festival, which is celebrated annually by the largest ethnic group, the Oromos, who were donning mostly white traditional attire. (AP video shot by Amanuel Gebremedhin Birhane)
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People attend the annual thanksgiving celebrations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Saturday, Oct 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Amanuel Birhane)
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People attend the annual thanksgiving celebrations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Saturday, Oct 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Amanuel Birhane)
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People attend the annual thanksgiving celebrations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Saturday, Oct 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Amanuel Birhane)
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People attend the annual thanksgiving celebrations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Saturday, Oct 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Amanuel Birhane)
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Thousands gathered in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on Saturday for the East African country’s thanksgiving festival, which is celebrated annually by the largest ethnic group, the Oromos, who were donning mostly white traditional attire.
The Irreecha festival is held to thank God, whom the Oromos call Waaqa. Some still practice the traditional Waaqqeffannaa, which is the worship of Waaqa.
“Irreecha is an important tradition that the Oromos treasure,” said Abbaa Gadaa Asmacha Foro, who was attending the festival and had traveled from the West Shewa Zone in the country’s central Oromia region.
Representing approximately a third of Ethiopia’s nearly 130 million population, the Oromo people use this annual festival to preach peace and unity.
“Irreecha is a vibrant thanksgiving festival that unites all the main clans of the Oromo,” said Robiya Bimam, a 35-year-old hotelier and resident of Addis Ababa.
There was increased security in the city before the festival, after the one in 2016 turned violent. Attendees at the time used the festival to hold anti-federal government protests and clashed with security forces, leading to a stampede that left more than 50 people dead.
That deadly festival gave birth to new leadership, which saw current Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, born in the Oromia region, rise to power.
Ahmed said Saturday that this year’s Irreecha comes after the country inaugurated the Grand Renaissance Dam, which “doubles our joy.”
Legesse Addisalem, an elder from Sebeta, a small town located 22 kilometers (about 13 miles) from Addis Ababa, said that “Irreecha is a celebration of fertility, love, and peace. We pray for peace not only for Ethiopia but for all of Africa and the world.”
James Jordan, a tourist from the U.S., attended the Irreecha festival for the first time.
“As a tourist, I’m mesmerized by the lively culture and large crowds at the Irreecha festival,” he said.
“I found it to be a wonderful celebration,” said Tariku Gankasi, a prominent Ethiopian artist from Jinka, a southern region of Ethiopia.
The majority of Oromos believe that they were denied the right to practice and promote their traditions by authorities in the past, including Emperor Menelik II, Emperor Haile Selassie and the military-Marxist Derg government.
Following protracted struggles and immense sacrifices, the Irreecha festival was revived in the late 1990s, when the Derg was toppled.
Umer Ali, 60, was elegantly dressed in his traditional Oromo clothing as he reflected on the revival of the Irreecha celebrations.
“For 150 years, the Oromo were denied cultural expression, but reforms by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed six years ago now allow them to celebrate Irreecha in Finfine and express their culture,” he said.
Yosuf Robie, a resident of Addis Ababa, said that “we inherited this culture from our ancestors, and we must promote and pass it on to the next generation.”
Now, with Abiy as the country’s first Oromo leader, many Oromos feel more empowered to promote their culture.
But despite being Oromo, Abiy faces growing criticism from some within the community, who argue he hasn’t done enough for them.
“Despite the sacrifices made by generations for justice, freedom, and cultural recognition, most Oromo causes are still ignored and pushed aside under Abiy’s administration,” said Haqaafan Worku, a 36-year-old social science expert. “Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tries to create a false image, pretending that the questions and demands of the Oromo have been addressed. This is far from the truth.”
Addis Ababa, October 5, 2025 (ENA)—The Irreecha Festival, one of the most significant cultural and spiritual events in the Oromo culture was celebrated in an atmosphere of peace, unity, and cultural pride, according to Abbaa Gadaas.
Abbaa Gadaa Gobena Hola, Secretary of the Union and Tulema, said that this year’s Hora Arsedi Irreecha festival was celebrated in a way that strengthened unity.
Abbaa Gadaa Gobena together with the Head of the Oromia Regional State Culture and Tourism Bureau gave a briefing regarding the completion of this year’s Irreecha festival.
In his briefing, he emphasized that that this year’s Irreecha festival was celebrated with love and unity in a way that strengthened unity.
The 2025 Irreecha celebration as deeply meaningful, emphasizing that it embodied the values of togetherness and mutual respect, he added.
Celebrations took place primarily at Hora Finfinnee in Addis Ababa and Hora Arsedi in Bishoftu, attracting millions of participants from across Ethiopia and beyond.
“This year’s celebrations welcomed people from various ethnic backgrounds,” he noted, “offering a profound display of peace, love, and unity that reflects Ethiopia’s rich cultural mosaic.”
Held under the theme “Irreecha for the revival of the country,” the festival underscored Irreecha’s role in promoting national cohesion and cultural identity. Participants widely echoed this message, describing the Hora Arsedi gathering as a powerful symbol of Ethiopian brotherhood and unity.
In addition to cultural significance, the seamless organization of the festival was also praised.
Abbaa Gadaa Gobena extended heartfelt appreciation to government institutions, security forces, service providers, and the public for their coordinated efforts, which ensured the festivities proceeded smoothly and without incident.
Meanwhile, Abbaa Gadaa Keta Biru emphasized the festival’s spiritual essence.
“Irreecha is a celebration of peace, forgiveness, and unity,” he affirmed. “It is our duty to pass these values and traditions to the next generation with respect and care,” he told ENA.
The Irreecha Festival served not only as a cultural celebration but also as a vibrant holiday for unity, reaffirming shared values and strengthening the spirit of togetherness among Ethiopia’s diverse communities, he concluded.
Beyond its cultural beauty, this year’s Irreecha Festival resonated deeply with Ethiopia’s broader journey of transformation and development.
Rooted in the Gadaa System, the traditional socio-political and cultural governance framework of the Oromo people, it embodies gratitude, peace, and social harmony.
Over the years, Irreecha has evolved into a national symbol of unity and coexistence, bringing together millions from diverse backgrounds.
Jamila Simbru, the head of the Oromia Regional State Culture and Tourism Bureau, said that this year’s Irreecha was celebrated colorfully and in organized manner.
He said that both in Hora Finfinnee and Hora Arsedi, the people celebrated Irreecha in a colorful manner, wearing traditional costumes and strengthening unity.
Daaniyaa is a highly significant concept in Waaqeffannaa, the traditional Oromo religion. It is not merely a word but a profound spiritual and philosophical principle.
Here is a detailed explanation of its meaning and significance:
Definition of Daaniyaa
Daaniyaa can be translated as “curse” or “divine retribution,” but this simple translation fails to capture its full depth. It is best understood as:
The inevitable, cosmic consequence for violating Safuu (moral and natural law).
It is the automatic, self-executing principle of justice maintained by Waaqa (God) to ensure balance and order in the universe.
Core Principles of Daaniyaa
Cause and Effect: Daaniyaa is a universal law of cause and effect. If a person commits a moral wrong—especially a severe one like murder, incest, betraying a guest, or breaking a sacred oath—they set in motion a chain of consequences that will result in their suffering or downfall.
Automatic and Impersonal: Unlike a curse cast by a person, Daaniyaa is not a personal spell. It is an impersonal, cosmic mechanism. Waaqa, as the sustainer of order, does not actively “punish” the individual; the violation itself disrupts the cosmic balance, and Daaniyaa is the re-balancing effect that inevitably follows.
Can be Collective: While it can affect an individual, Daaniyaa can also befall a family or an entire community if the transgression is communal or if the community tolerates a grave injustice in its midst.
Intergenerational: The consequences of Daaniyaa can extend to the offspring of the wrongdoer. This reflects the Oromo understanding that actions have long-lasting repercussions that can affect future generations.
How Daaniyaa Manifests
The effects of Daaniyaa are believed to be severe and tangible, often taking the form of:
Unexplained illnesses and chronic sickness.
Persistent poverty and failure in endeavors.
Barrenness in land, livestock, or people.
A string of misfortunes and untimely deaths within a family.
Mental distress and social isolation.
The Relationship Between Daaniyaa, Safuu, and Araara
To fully understand Daaniyaa, it must be seen in relation to two other key concepts:
Concept
Relationship to Daaniyaa
Safuu (Moral/Legal Code)
Safuu is the law. Daaniyaa is the automatic penalty for breaking that law. Living by Safuu is how one avoids Daaniyaa.
Araara (Reconciliation)
Araara is the only remedy for Daaniyaa. If a person commits a wrong, they must proactively seek reconciliation. This involves confessing the wrongdoing, seeking forgiveness from the victim, performing a cleansing ritual, and often paying compensation (Gumaa). A successful Araara ritual is believed to stop the effects of Daaniyaa and restore cosmic and social balance.
The Transgression: A man kills another man in a fight.
The Violation: This is a gross violation of Safuu.
The Consequence: The killer and his family are now subject to Daaniyaa. They may experience a series of misfortunes—their cattle die, their children fall ill, their crops fail.
The Solution: The family must seek Araara (reconciliation) with the victim’s family. This involves elders mediating, the killer confessing, paying Gumaa (compensation), and both families participating in a ritual (like sacrificing an animal and swearing an oath of peace). Once Araara is achieved, the Daaniyaa is lifted.
Conclusion
Daaniyaa is a cornerstone of Oromo ethics and spirituality. It serves as a powerful social and religious mechanism that:
Upholds Justice: It provides a divine assurance that wrongdoing will not go unaddressed.
Deters Transgressions: The fear of Daaniyaa encourages individuals to live ethically and according to Safuu.
Promotes Reconciliation: It makes the process of Araara not just a social formality but a spiritual necessity for healing and survival.
In essence, Daaniyaa represents the Oromo worldview’s deep belief in a self-regulating, moral universe where balance, justice, and harmony are the ultimate realities.
(A4O, 29 September 2025) Irreechaa celebrations in Melbourne have become a notable expression of Oromo culture, bringing the local Oromo diaspora together to honor traditional values and strengthen communal bonds.
The festival typically features blessings by elders, cultural performances, music, dancing, and communal meals, all designed to replicate the spiritual essence of Irreechaa as celebrated in Oromia.
Festival Highlights in Melbourne
– The celebration is usually held at riversides or parks—often at the iconic Wilson Botanical Garden—to maintain the symbolic tradition of giving thanks to Waaqa (God) by water.
– Community leaders and elders lead the prayers and blessings, paying homage to nature and ancestral wisdom.
– Attendees wear traditional Oromo clothing, display cultural ornaments, and use symbolic colors such as black, red, and white.
– Music, and dances (including Siiqqee and Gumii) are performed to educate and entertain both the Oromo community and local Australians.
Purpose and Impact
– The event fosters Oromo cultural identity and unity among diaspora members.
– It serves as a platform for educating younger generations about heritage and traditions, helping them maintain a connection to their roots.
– Many celebrations invite local government officials, multicultural organizations, and curious residents, encouraging mutual respect and intercultural exchange.
Growth and Community Engagement
– Participation has steadily grown, with increased efforts by local Oromo associations to expand outreach and inclusivity.
– Social media and diaspora networks play a crucial role in organizing, publicizing, and preserving the festival’s traditions, even reaching Oromo youth who may be distant from their homeland.
Irreechaa in Melbourne embodies both cultural pride and adaptation, allowing the Oromo community to sustain meaningful traditions while building bridges with the wider Australian society.
Participants took memorable photos with family, friends and each other and shared them on social media.
All those who participated in this celebration filled with love and respect are saying that they remember it with joy.
Irreechaa is a festival of wisdom that Oromo have contributed to the world community, which promotes gratitude, peace, reconciliation, hope, life, social harmony, community bonds, connection, mutual assistance, sharing, harmony and morality.
Irreecha is a gift of wisdom from the Oromo people to the world, promoting a model of sustainability, community, and gratitude.
It eloquently frames Irreecha not just as an Oromo cultural event, but as a universal celebration of universal human and ecological values. The breakdown into these seven pillars—Thanksgiving, Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Peace, Sharing, Morality, and Harmony—provides a powerful framework for understanding its profound significance.
1. Thanksgiving
Irreecha is a day of thanksgiving. God is making an invaluable contribution to all creation with His power and ability. It is the day of Irreechaa when they give thanks together for what God has given them.
2. Forgiveness
Irreechaa is a day of sincere forgiveness. A person who has a conflict thanks God by forgiving each other.
3. Reconciliation
Irreechaa is reconciliation. When conflict is resolved, or forgiveness is made, reconciliation takes place.
4. Peace
It is about peace. It’s about unity, it’s about love. It is about being respectful and being brother with other people. These values are applicable to all people. Irreechaa is useful not only to Oromo but to all nations, and nationalities of the country.
5. Sharing
Irreechaa is about sharing time with those who have and those who do not; it is a time of mutual assistance. It is a time to share what they have with family and neighbours with joy and love. On the day of Irreecha, it is to share what one has with the one who does not have it or to give what one has to one’s heart; this is considered as a blessed act because it is loved by God.
6. Morality
Morality is the highest law and ethics to be maintained amongst creation. If there is morality, then the relationship between nature is just. Irreechaa plays an important role in maintaining the relationship between nature.
7. Harmoney
Any person participates in Irreechaa. Irreechaa includes not only human being but also nature. It is a symbol of the combination of nature and the human beings. It is a festival where human beings express a unity to nature and give thanks to God. That’s why we say Irreecha is an inclusive national festival.
This description highlights why Irreecha is so central to Oromo identity and philosophy (Oromummaa) and why its messages are indeed applicable to all people. The emphasis on nature not just as a backdrop, but as an active participant in the celebration, is a crucial and distinguishing feature of the festival.
These values are applicable to all people. Irreechaa is useful not only to Oromo but to all nations, and nationalities of the country. This aligns perfectly with the view of many who see Irreecha as a gift of wisdom from the Oromo people to the world, promoting a model of sustainability, community, and gratitude.
September 21, 2025 (A4O) The Oromo Irreechaa Organising Committee in Victoria is preparing to celebrate Irreecha in Melbourne on 28th September 2025 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Head of the Committee, Ob Abdeta Homa said the celebration is to strengthen and promote Oromo culture, particularly the Irreecha celebration in Melbourne.
Irreechaa is the annual Oromo people Thanksgiving Day that is celebrated every year in Birraa near the river bank or water. This year’s celebration will be held at Wilson Botanical Park, 668 Princes Highway, Berwick, VIC, 3806.
Irreechaa is celebrated every year in the end of September or beginning of October in various part of the globe where the Oromo community resides.
The celebration in Melbourne will be held in the context of the country while cultural values of the Irreecha celebration are maintained.
The Irreecha would be celebrated by all Oromos regardless of difference in religion, region and gender to celebrate and promote the identity of the Oromo people.
Irreecha is the celebration of peace, unity and cooperation where the celebrants carrying bunch of straw and daisies in their hands praising, blessing and praying Waaqa in their songs.
The Irreecha festival is celebrated every year at the beginning of Birraa (Spring), new season after the dark and rainy winter season.
The Oromo people celebrate Irreechaa not only to thank Waaqaa (God) but also to welcome the new season of plentiful harvests after the dark and rainy winter season associated with nature and creature.
Irreechaa in Exile
Irreechaa is not only practiced among the Oromo in Oromia and around the world where diaspora Oromos live. As hundreds of the Oromo are in exile for different reasons, their culture, religion, language and identity also exiled with them. Thus, Irreecha is celebrated in Oromia and around the world where diaspora Oromos live especially, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Australia, South Afrika, Europe and North America.
“Because Irreechaa has a cultural ambiance in connecting the people to Oromo land and the creator, Waaqa, it still remained as strong element of connection between the Oromo in diaspora and home – Oromia,” Mr. Dabessa Gemelal said.
In the past fifteen years or so, the Oromo across different parts of the world (from Toronto to Melborne and Bergen to Johannesburg) have come together and celebrated Irreechaa as a common icon of their identity.
If anything could be mentioned in bridging the differences (political and religious) within Oromo in the diaspora, Irreechaa has become the major binding force not as a mere cultural or religious practice but for its conjoint constitution of culture and identity.
Currently, Irreechaa has got publicity among the non-Oromos (Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians alike) to the extent that city administrations in different countries recognized the celebration and granted the Oromo with the spaces for the ritual.
Irreechaa brings people closer
On Irreechaa festivals, friends, family, and relatives gather together and celebrate with joy and happiness. Irreechaa festivals bring people closer to each other and make social bonds.
Moreover, the Oromo people celebrate this auspicious event to mark the end of rainy season, known as Ganna, was established by Oromo forefathers, in the time of Gadaa Melbaa in Mormor, Oromia.
The auspicious day on which this last Mormor Day of Gadaa Belbaa – the Dark Time of starvation and hunger- was established on the 1st Sunday of last week of September or the 1st Sunday of the 1st week of October according to the Gadaa lunar calendar has been designated as National Thanksgiving Day by modern-day Oromo people.
Irreechaa celebrations as a means of promoting Oromummaa
“What a wonderful time we had on a cooler than typical spring day in 2025 enjoying all that the Irreechaa Festival presented, Ob Abdeta Homa added.
After many years’ unseen events, the first national Irreechaa Festival was held in 1991 in Oromia, East Africa and later became an annual event, which now runs for five weeks, and is one of the most pleasant reminders in Oromia that spring has definitely sprung!
“Here in Australia, Melbourne, we continue this fabulous event every year since 2009.
“The celebrations are unique in that the Melbourne celebration has come again and that contributes to the development of Oromummaa in the Diaspora,” Ob Abdeta said.
In the traditional religion of the Oromos, the spirit is the power through which Waaqaa (The Almighty God) governs all over the world. Thus, Oromos believe that every creation of Waaqaa has its own spirit.
Thanks to God for all the blessing
This festival is a spectacular show of cultural, historical and natural beautification in their full glory at the height of the season. It has spawned somewhat of a science of knowing just when the blooms will peak at blooms and decline, depending on the wind, rain, and sunshine they get.
Now it is the beginning of 2025 Irreechaa celebrations, the premier holiday of the Oromo people marks the end of the dark-rainy season and the beginning of a blossom harvest season.
It is in Oromo tradition to gather at the river banks and lakes shores to give thanks to the almighty Waaqaa for all the blessings throughout past years and ask for Araaraa (Reconciliation), Nagaa (Peace), Walooma (Harmony) and Finnaa (Holistic Development) for the past, the present and the future.
Irreechaa is a cherished annual cultural festival that reflects the rich history, customs, and traditions of the Oromo people—one of Africa’s oldest indigenous communities. This event serves as a powerful means of bringing people together, fostering cultural pride, and strengthening connections within the Oromo community and the broader multicultural fabric of Victoria.
“The event is very important for our community as it brings the community together and helps to connect and share experiences in their day-to-day life.” Mr. Danye Defersha, member of Irreechaa Organising Committee said.
The festival honors the wisdom and blessings of elders, preserves Oromo heritage, and promotes cultural awareness, harmony, and understanding among all Australians. It is also an opportunity for young people to connect with their roots, build confidence in their identity, and share their unique cultural values with others.
And Mr. Danyes’ message is to wish Irreecha a source of solidarity for all. “Together, we can make our destiny better everywhere.”
Since time immemorial Oromo men, women, youths, and elders have been rallying together to express thanks and happiness to their Waaqa, who according to the Oromo concept of colour is symbolised by the colour gurraacha, meaning black. By its very original concept the colour gurraacha (black) did not stand for mourning, grief or for the expression of sorrow. It was used to symbolise the invisible supreme power that can do and undo anything anywhere in the universe. Having this narrative tradition in mind, the Oromos have been getting together around rivers or lakes to thank their Waaqa Gurraacha at the end of the rainy season. They strongly believe that, it was Waaqa who delivered them from the restraining rainy season and brought them to the cherished floweryseason. This great event, called Irreechain AfaanOromoo, is celebrated every year at the end of September or in the first week of October. https://youtu.be/Pk3W49aKXDY
Irreecha holds an important social event in Oromo people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, abundance, fertility, and a hope for the renewal of a new social life. Like ancient Egyptians who used to celebrate the yearly inundation of the River Nile as a symbol of life giving, Oromos have been celebrating their new year on the side of river banks or lakes which, according to Oromo mythology, is the source of all life. Some of the hymens ancient Egyptians sang while praising the Nile were:
Oh Nile! You rise out of the earth and come to nourish Egypt! You quench the thirsty desert! You bring forth the barley! You create the wheat! You fill the granaries and the storehouses, not forgetting the poor. For You we pluck our harps, for You we sing! [1]
Creation Narrative Stories
It was not only the ancient Egyptians or the Oromos who had creation stories in relation to water. In the Japanese telling stories, we find water holding the core of the dawn of creation. First, there was an ocean, out of which the many Japanese Islands were believed to have been created. There was a god known as Izanagi and a goddess Izanami. The gods, as a couple, had three children, of whom the grandson of the Sun Goddess had become the first Emperor of Japan, Nippon, as known to the native population.[2]
The gods used a long spear and stirred up mud at the bottom of the ocean. It was out of the stirred up mud those more than 6000 Japanese islands were believed to have been created. On the eastern side, out of the glittering Pacific Ocean, the sun rose every morning. It was the cherished sun’s rays which had a big role in illumining, nourishing, and bringing up the Japanese archipelagos to life. This is the Japanese thought of their land, Mount Fuji being the most beautiful and sacred one.[3]
For the Japanese, Japan has not only been their country. Japan has been their world and their religion. The creation story the people share in common and the passionate love they have for their country has continued to make up the coherent faith of their oneness. And, out of the cherished mythology, they have undoubtedly benefited enormous groundwork principles for their social and technological advancement we are witnessing today.
When we come to the antique Scandinavians of northern Europe, we find similar watery creation stories. In the beginning there was an abyss filled with water. The water froze; and lastly melted down. Out of the melted water, a giant being of human form called Ymir emerged. Thereafter, a man and woman were created out of Ymir’s armpits. In short, this was the beginning of ancient Scandinavian telling stories about the myth of human creation.[4]
The Oromo myth of creation holds the view that water being the source of androgynous being. According to Oromo narration story, by the unfathomable wisdom of Waaqa Gurraacha, the androgyny was divided in to two parts and became male and female. After the division, the two opposite sexes began to live separately on the either side of the river. Though they were able to see each other across the river, they were hampered from joining each other by the overflow of the river. When the river subsided and sank down into its course, during the flowering season, they were able to cross the river and embraced each other.[5] Here was the point, during the flowering season, according to Oromo belief, when the firstgaa’ila (engagement for marriage) started to blossom.
Many of us may remember when newly married Oromo couples were coming to Irreechaat Hora Harsadii, enforced by nobody but only inspired by the tradition to get the blessings of the hayyuus and Abbaa Gadaas. But that was not performed on October 2, 2016 because of the heinous massacre carried out by the incumbent Ethiopian regime that disrupted the whole process of the ceremony.
Having this entire narrative story in mind, defending and combatting all challenging obstacles and heinous crimes imposed on them, the Oromos have continued to celebrate their yearly thanksgiving Irreecha festival, dressing beautiful national costumes suited for the occasion.
Norms of Irreecha Celebration
Today, at national level, millions of Oromos are celebrating Irreecha Birraa, on the side of Hora Harsadii in Bishooftuu town. At national or local levels, there are traditionally agreed upon norms that govern the whole process of the ceremony from the beginning to the end, which is deeply rooted in the strongly and humanely established Oromo views for peace, love, prosperity, and human dignity. Based on Oromo clans’ successive generation by birth, there are individuals who offer blessings first, second, and so on. This is dually (angafaa fi qixisuu) restructured in Oromo kinship organisations whose function of check and balance has become basic foundation for the indigenous Gadaa Oromo Democracy to flourish.
The ceremony commences first by offering thanks and greeneries to Waaqa, followed by blessing all creatures of Waaqa to be at peace with each other.They also give admiration and honour to Waaqa’s wisdom who gave them a perfect bliss of land with abundant natural resources. This is one of the inherent reasons why the Oromos are cherishing their ancestral homeland, Oromiyaa (Biyya Oromoo) as part of their natural right, be it in peace or war times.
In the case of Irreecha Birraa, it is the Abbaa Malkaa who ‘opens the door’ of the malkaa (river) by charmingly welcoming those who arrived at the site in peace.[6] Those distinguished hayyuus from senior and junior clans (mana angafaa fi qixisuu) and the Abbaa Gadaa from the incumbent Gadaa party are traditionally honoured to take leading positions in giving thanks and blessings to all. Even the Ayyaantu-Qaalluus, who are believed to be the guardians of the laws of Waaqa and the custodians of Oromo traditional religion, have no seniority right to claim either to take the leading position or to give blessings first. They have their own defined time and place to do so. Failure to honestly follow those agreed upon traditional charter, could lead to chaos and eventually to the disintegration of the society. Nevertheless, despite so many apartheid walls erected among Oromo regions by builders of the imperial palace of political Ethiopia (in contradiction to historical Ethiopia), the Oromos are not able to be divided by the walls. They are chiselling down the walls and are patiently moving forward in unison.
Is Irreecha a Religion?
As common to any Oromo meetings or conferences, thanking Waaqa and blessing each other precede the opening of the agenda of the meetings. There is no exception for the thanksgiving Oromo new year celebration, Irreecha. Since the Oromo name of Waaqa is the centre of Oromo Natural Religion, the solemn invocation of Waaqa at Irreecha or elsewhere cannot be avoided. This is the core issue, the authenticity of Oromo natural religion and Oromo morality that seem to have scared general managers of ‘Revelation Industries’ and their sponsors in Oromia. They are prompted to develop phobic images against essential Oromo values: vilifying, desecrating, defaming, and bedevilling Oromo material and spiritual assets as a whole. Why? The answer is so unilineal, not parallel.
Irreecha has been one of the major Oromo events that distinguishes, makes, and marks the identity of an Oromo personality as a member of the nation.
It is a social festival that praises Waaqa who helped them come together in peace and embrace the incoming bright-sunny season.
It is a social festival that sees off the out-going rainy season, wishing its recurrent appearance in peace, happiness, abundance, fertility, equality, fraternity and a hope for victory against all forms of evils.
But, as has obviously been duplicated by foreign media outlets, particularly after the Irreecha massacre of October 2, 2016, there is a clear tendency to look on Irreecha as a ‘religious festival’. It is quite villainous and sinisterial to depict the general Oromo sense of Oromo-self only from a single perspective. Is Habasha’s Inkutatash not Qiddus Yohannes’ religious celebration or is it a new year festival? Is Tigrian’s Ashanda the worshipping of Churches of Saints or season greetings? Is European Christmas the celebration of Christ’s birth day, or is it the continuation of pre-Christianity European culture of winter solstice celebration?
When it comes to Irreecha Oromo, it is propagated as heathenish or animist religion that makes a tree or a river the centre of worship. This can simply be attested from the recently publicised sub-human propaganda by a self-declared “Prophet” named Suraphael Demise. https://youtu.be/u2hrjMaSeqM
We do not understand whether such inconsiderate propaganda is really a reflection from a fully developed human brain or is it a proxy psychological war sponsored by the monstrous Satan.
If one wants to talk or know about Oromo religion, it is called Waaqeffanna, not Irreecha. Where is the self-organised Waaqeffannaa religion right now? One may ask the Tigrian Ethiopian regime, sitting in Minilk’s imperial palace; muddling the peoples of that empire, sponsoring divisive and xenophobic people like Suraphel Demise.
Waaqeffannaa by its natural origin, contrary to revelationists’ assertions who claimed to have seen visions and heard voices, is neither a claimed vision nor claimed heard voices. Had it been a claimed vision or claimed voices, it could have been dwelling on narrating about a place of everlasting torture or about a place of eternal delight in the afterlife. In the narrative story telling of Waaqeffannaa there were no individuals who did claim any visions or heard voices for its establishment as a religious institution. It emerged naturally out of the organised Oromo people’s activities in the remote antiquity. Henceforth, Waaqeffannaa, as a natural religion, has become the common vision of Oromo people’s common mind. It is free from claiming any received information of the afterlife, be it from the chamber of the sinners or from the chamber of the pious. However, Waaqeffannaa may wonder or speculate what could be happening beyond the veil of a man’s soul (lubbuu) after his dead body was ceremonially buried. Revealed religions claimed and are still claiming that they had unveiled the veil, saw the souls, and heard their voices from chambers of the ‘hell and heaven’.
In its strictest sense, Irreecha is not a religious institution. It is a ritualised social event; certainly, adorned and accompanied by Oromo Natural Religion known as Waaqeffannaa. Waaqeffannaa and Irreecha have been with the Oromos, by the Oromos, and for the Oromos since the dawn of creation long before the conception of revealed religions.
The Irreecha Massacre and the “Tasa” Monument
An attempt to ban the Irreecha festival started the time when Oromos lost their sovereign rights to Abyssinian firearms under the supreme commandship of King Minilk of Shewa. After the Tigrian-led Ethiopian regime took the imperial palace by force in 1991, the orchestration to ban the Irreecha ceremony was concluded. This time, the regime took the first apartheid action by banning the revived Matcha-Tulama Self-Help Association and the freely organised Waaqeffaanaa religious association. Instead of directly banning Irreecha, however, like Matcha-Tulama and Waaqeffanaa, the regime renewed the old Nugus-Orthodox tactics of hijacking anything good of the Oromos and good for the Oromos.
A delegate led by Abba Duulaa Gammadaa, the then president of ‘Oromia Regional State’ was despatched to Hora Harsadii to hijack Irreecha. The delegate failed to accomplish the mission it intended to seal and returned to the palace in dismay. Here was planted the seed of the evil action that took thousands of innocent lives on October 2, 2016 at Hora Harsadii, Bishooftuu.
Ahead of the massacre, the regime meticulously orchestrated provocative tactics that could incite the people against itself. It imposed rules that are too antagonistic to the established Irreecha tradition. When the people reacted to the evil provocation, its ill-behaved security forces started firing life bullets from the ground and from armoured vehicles against millions of celebrants. Military helicopter flew over them spraying teargas on them. On this day, that barbaric action changed the happy Oromo Irreecha event to a bloody grief. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_3miIwY4mQ&t=33s
The regime and its killing forces rejoiced the success of their fascistic actions on human carnages. The regime’s trumpet Prime Minister, Haile Mariam Desalegn, was so quick to deny the massacre and said, “No single bullet was heard; but because of stampede about 52 people were killed.” Finally, like Muktar Kadir who thanked the Agazi killing forces, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister thanked the regime’s mercilessly firing forces https://youtu.be/Q6cSzgiZdc8
To remember the success of their evil plan, the Tigrian-Ethiopian regime erected a very offensive stone they call “Memorial Monument”. A deaf monument, that speaks of nothing about the root cause of the massacre. Sadly, what is inscribed on the monument seems to be articulated in the way it could depict the lost human lives as unworthy ones. It reads in Afaan Oromoo “Tasa Lubbuun Isaanii dabreef, for suddenly passed away lives”
This “Tasa Monument” was erected in a faraway place where the actual massacre did not take place
Conclusion
The Oromos have tried to do everything positive for Ethiopia. But why are they being reciprocated with negativity for their positive generosity? When the Oromos are coming out for peace, those who are making huge business in the name of “Ethiopia” are incessantly confronting them with vibrant forms of violence, persecution and marginalisation.
In former days, before Oromo country and their central holy site, Walaabu, had fallen to naftenya’s bayonet, Oromo generations in every Oromo clan were making pilgrimage to Walaabu. The purpose of the journey was more of religious, that they sought the anointment and blessings of Abbaa Muudaa, who was believed to be the eldest son of Oromo [Orma], the Spiritual Father of the nation holding the centre of Oromo Natural Religion, the belief in Waaqa Tokkicha.[7]
The pilgrims, who were scattered in north-east Africa, representing their clans, used to travel a long journey and arrived at the Muuda site.On their return to their clans, they came back with qumbii (myrrh), which the Abbaa Muuda distributed to them as a symbol of his fatherly holy blessings. This had been considered as dangerous and anti-peace to Abyssinian crosses and crowns. Subsequently, with the invention and consolidation of the ‘New Ethiopia’, qinyi gizaat, (the Amharic version for colonial empire) by King Minilik of Shewa, Oromo’s journey to the Muuda holy site was prohibited. It was finally banned at the beginning of the twentieth century. Huntingford who collected good information from various sources wrote:
”—after the Abyssinian conquest of [Oromia], however, the pilgrimage was forbidden owing to its political and nationalistic influence.—as opportunities for stirring up Oromo patriotism and forming plans of rebellion for men of all the Oromo tribes met at Walaabu.”[8]
This inhumane and erratic ideology will get nowhere. It is now far from halting down Oromo people’s aspiration for regaining their lost freedom. We, including those in ati-Oromo camps, are daily watching and witnessing the reality on the ground. The more direct wars and propaganda campaigns are pouring on the Oromos, the more their heroisms are reinvigorated. Irreecha will continue to march forward with its noble objectives of thanksgiving social festivities: vitalising, remaking, and remarking Oromummaa (Oromo-ness).
Advocacy for Oromia was established in 2010 with the purpose of enabling and empowering Oromo people by providing accurate and timely information that will help to make better choices to create the kind of future in which they wish to live.
It also provides information focus on the major issues facing us in the 21st century and it is going to try and bring a balanced approach with factual information that is positive and solution based.
The website has been in operation for the last nine years with the mission of promoting and advancing causes of Oromo people through advocacy, community education, information service, capacity building, awareness raising and promotion.
The website is also the official site of Advocacy for Oromia Association in Victoria Australia Inc., a non-profit organisation, registered under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 in Victoria as April 2014.
Our team already had considerable community development experience and expertise. Our various projects helped to develop our confidence and the capacity of our agency. Our team used every gained knowledge, skills and experiences as an opportunity to design and develop new approaches, to documenting progress, supporting positive employment outcomes, liaising with community stakeholders, and conduct evaluation.
Advocacy for Oromia is devoted to establishing Advocacy for Oromia organisation to close the gaps where we can stand for people who are disadvantaged and speaking out on their behalf in a way that represents the best interests of them. We are committed to supporting positive settlement and employment outcomes for Victoria’s Oromo community.
Advocacy for Oromia Office
Addresses:
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Dandenong VIC 3175
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Advocacy for Oromia Mental Health Program
The aim of the program is to improving the mental health and well-being of Oromo community in Victoria. It aims to assist those experiencing, mental ill-health, their families and carers of all ages within this community to address the social determinants of mental health for Oromo community. It helps:
Identify and build protective factors,
Reduce stigma and discrimination
Build capacity for self-determination
Better understand mental wellbeing, mental ill-health and the impacts of trauma
The goal of the project is to increase mental health literacy of Oromo community that aims:
To assist people with mental health issues
To increase the capacity of mental health worker
To better understand mental wellbeing
To provide mental health education and information
To address the social and cultural causes of mental health issues
Advocacy for Oromia will organise information session, women performance, radio programs, culturally adopted conversations on Oromo Coffee Drinking ceremony, providing training for mental health guides and forum and producing educational materials on the selected groups and geographical area.
Human Rights Education Program
The Human Rights Education Program is a community based human rights program designed to develop an understanding of everyone’s common responsibility to make human rights a reality in each community.
Human rights can only be achieved through an informed and continued demand by people for their protection. Human rights education promotes values, beliefs and attitudes that encourage all individuals to uphold their own rights and those of others.
The aim of the program is to build an understanding and appreciation for human rights through learning about rights and learning through rights. We aimed at building a universal culture of human rights. Thus, we aimed:
To build an understanding and appreciation for human rights through learning about rights and learning through rights.
To build capacities and sharing good practice in the area of human rights education and training
To develop human rights education and training materials and resources
The goal of the project is to increase human rights literacy of Oromo community that aims:
To better understand human rights
To increase the capacity of human rights worker
To analyse situations in human rights terms
To provide human rights education and information
To develop solidarity
To strategize and implement appropriate responses to injustice.
The ultimate goal of education for human rights is empowerment, giving people the knowledge and skills to take control of their own lives and the decisions that affect them.
Human rights education constitutes an essential contribution to the long-term prevention of human rights abuses and represents an important investment in the endeavour to achieve a just society in which all human rights of all persons are valued and respected.
Advocacy for Oromia will organise information session, performance, radio programs, culturally adopted conversations on Oromo Coffee Drinking ceremony, providing training for Human Rights guides and forum and producing educational materials on the selected groups and geographical area.
Community Safety Program
The program aims to strengthen existing collaborations and identify opportunities for the development of partnerships aimed at community safety and crime prevention activities. This approach seeks to improve the individual and collective quality of life by addressing concerns regarding the wider physical and social environment. Importantly, community safety means addressing fear of crime and perceptions of safety as without this any actions to address the occurrence of crime and anti-social behaviour are of less value.
Advocacy for Oromia 