Festivals & Heritage
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Displaying 1 to 11 of 11 results.
Situated high on a hill, with views towards the Somali plains, lies the church of Kulubi Gabriel. A Coptic church, built by Italians in the Haile Selassie era, the site is visited by Orthodox…
The Ethiopian Christmas, known locally as Ganna after a hockey-like game the shepherds played when Jesus was born, usually falls on the old Julian calendar date of 7 January. The celebration…
This festival marks the return of the pilgrims from the Hajj in Mecca. It is most elaborately celebrated in the province of Harerge where the walled city of Harar is found, people drink…
Victory of Adwa Commemoration Day
Adwa day commemorates the victory by Menelik II over Italian forces in 1896. An official ceremony in Addis Ababa features a procession and wreaths are laid by the statues of Menelik's horses…
Situated high on a hill, with views towards the Somali plains, lies the church of Kulubi Gabriel. A Coptic church, built by Italians in the Haile Selassie era, the site is visited by Orthodox…
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, known to his devotees as the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, is revered as the incarnation of God by Rastafarians throughout the world. His birthday…
The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan is observed throughout Ethiopia, but it is a particularly intense experience in and around the amazing ancient walled city of Harar in the east, where the…
Enkutatash: Ethiopian New Year
Ethiopia's New Year's Day (or Enkutatash) is celebrated in September towards the end of the big rains. Unlike the 1 January, which is comparatively arbitrary, New Year's Day in Ethiopia marks…
Meskel, Finding of the True Cross
Meskel, meaning cross, is one of the most important festivals in Ethiopia, a huge feast celebrating the legendary finding of the True Cross on which Christ is said to have been crucified. It…
A small pilgrimage site at Lake Hora, near Debre Zeyit, is visited once a year by the Oromo, one of the largest Ethiopian tribes.
Anniversary of the Crowning of Haile Selassie
The date of the coronation of Haile Selassie I, former Emperor of Ethiopia and central figure of the Rastafarian faith, is celebrated by Rastafarians throughout the world as one of the most…
