Oromia- Ethiopia: Irrechaa Thanksgiving celebration

Column-Analysis | By Tuji Jidda

Irecha means Thanksgiving Day to their ‘Waqa’ or God. It originated among the Blue Nile bound Cushitic people of Oromo for thousands of years. At national level, it is celebrated in Bishoftu town in Oromia state at Lake Hora Arsadi. This festivity is celebrated on last Sunday of September. On the festival Aba Gadaas, community leaders and folks share their produces and address thanks to Waqa for the blessed transition from the rainy season to the bright and colorful Birra season.

This historic holiday was highly suppressed during successive brutal Abyssinian leaders. With little informal type of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ recognition it has gained over recent years, however, it started dramatically spreading and regaining its lost position. Accordingly, these days, millions of pilgrimages attend the sacred Oromo wisdom traditional holiday celebration, especially, at Hora.

On the occasion the chairman of the organizing committee made a short speech in which he briefly elaborated the peace loving nature of the once banned Waqeefata, its moral values, its historical importance and its contribution to the cultural and moral development for dehumanized Oromo people, in particular, and the great Cushitic Ethiopians in general.

After that the ‘Abba Mudaa’ from Tulamaa Oromo of North America was endorsed by acclamation to serve as spiritual leader (patriarch) of Waqeffata based on Gadaa principle. Then the special event of thanking Waqayoo was celebrated with different activities.
The other interesting part of the feast includes “Hammachiissa” which means “hammachuu”. Accordingly, the Abba Mudaa hags and bless children like ‘Santa Claus’ and then gives them “Hammachiisa Names”, which is basically Cushitic Oromo name.   

A day before also celebrated Oromo New year holiday called “Gubaa”, from which “Damera” is said adapted. The event marks the beginning of Oromo New Year.

Oromos of all region and religion took part in this year’s Irecha festival as ‘Waqaa’ embraces people of different religion and beliefs and that its core principles have no contradiction with “Ten Commandments.”  

Representatives in attendance includes:-

• Tulamaa Oromo- commonly called Shawa Lixaa & Shawaa Kabaa representing 3 million people
• Macaa Oromo- parts representing 3 million people
• Jille Oromo-commonly called Shawa Bahaa- representing 1.8 million people
• Arsi Oromo-includes Baalee- representing 5 million people
• Ituu Oromo-commonly called Hararghe Lixaa- representing 2.6 million people
• Afran Qalloo Oromo- commonly called Hararghe Bahaa- representing 2.7 million people
• Karrayyuu Oromo- representing 0.9 million people
• Wallaggaa Oromo- representing 4.2 million people
• Gujjii Oromo- commonly called Sidama-representing 1.9 million people
• Boraana Oromo- commonly called Sidamo-representing 2.2 million people
• Shanan Gibee Oromo- commonly called Jimmaa representing 2.7 people
• Illu Aba-Bora Oromo- representing 2.1 million people;
• Wallo Oromo-representing 2.3 million people; and
• Wombara and Abbayyii Oromo.

Emphasized on the occasion was the need for unanimously recognition of Irecha as prominent Oromo culture and moral system that should be reserved, strengthened and passed from generation to generation irrespective of what ever other religion the people believe in or forced to believe in. Also participants reached an understanding that such a great event helps regaining the lost Oromo identity and the most democratic Gadaa System while at the same time defying proponents of solomonid propaganda who tried to impose their corrupt culture on Irecha followers based on false history derived from fabricated myths.

During the late afternoon luncheon party, the newly elected spiritual leader Abba Mudaa called not only for the support of all Cushitic Ethiopian, but also for further strengthening of Irecha culture.

To this end he stressed call for:

1. The Irecha holiday, being an important Oromo holiday, should be legally recognized as an official holiday like all others that are now officially inscribed as such in the country’s calendar and
2. Request the holly Hora Arsadi and its surrounding lands that has been confiscated during the cruel regimes, including the lands occupied by the nearby Hora Ras Hotel, be negotiated for of spiritual Irecha holly place so that to serve as Head Quarter (galma) (like mosque or church or synagogue).

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