September is the ninth month on the European calendar and the first Ethiopian month of Ethiopian New Year 2016. The eight-year long gap between the two keeps on recurring indefinitely through times and we have to adjust and readjust our timetable every New Year coming. There is not much to celebrate during the first day of the European New Year, while the first month of the Ethiopian year is filled with diverse celebrations, all of them religious or cultural. Muslims, Christians, non-believers as well as the faithful from non-traditional or non-established denominations celebrate it with joy.
To begin with, the Islamic holiday of Mewlid or the Prophet's holiday is celebrated not only in Ethiopia but also "in almost all Islamic countries and also in other countries that have a significant Muslim population such as India, the United Kingdom, turkey, Nigeria, Cote D'Ivoire, Morocco, Jordan, Libya, Russia and Canada." Although the social and economic contexts differ from one country to another, the rituals and practices are almost similar in all these countries. The common rituals include, "sharing food, attending lectures about the Prophet's life and virtues, slawat prayer services, participating in marches and reciting the Qur'an litanies and devotional poetry of the Prophet."
Then follow the religious celebrations. The September holidays that are mostly religious or spiritual in nature start with a secular one, i.e. New Year Day which a big occasion that Ethiopians of all walks of life and religious denominations celebrate in common and according to their respective traditions. The New Year day is sometimes called Kidus Johannes, or Saint John's day. It is also known as Inkutatash, although it has nowadays shed its Christian nature and become a unifying factor since all Ethiopians celebrate it with equal fervor. This first and biggest secular holiday of the year that usually fall son September 11th or 12th on the Gregorian calendar is followed by strictly religious ones
In Ethiopia for instance, groups of young and older devotees and artists presented Islamic songs and devotional poetry and recitations to the followers of the faith. These young people are well-verse in Quran learning and their amazing voices reflected their deep and divinely inspirations as well as their talents for displaying imbued with the spirit of the Prophet's teachings about love, peace, brotherhood and commitment to a life of purity and Islamic virtues. Judging from the performances at the Grand Anwar Mosque here in Addis Ababa, Mawlid was celebrated with the same fervor and devotion that were obvious during previous occasions.
There is a striking coincidence here between Ethiopian New Year and Mawlid because both often fall on the same day, or one following the other. This is not however the result of conscious calculation or the result of some agreement between the leaders of the two religious denominations. It just happens and naturally without anyone's intervention. And this is taken by the people as a sign of divine blessing. In some other countries, the followers of both Islam and Christianity do not celebrate their holidays on the same day or one following the other. This is however one of the characteristic that make Ethiopia almost a unique place on earth where both religions live in peaceful coexistence and the followers look at one another with love and respect.
A few notes on the Meskel celebrations is in order here. Orthodox Christianity is one of the oldest if not the oldest religions in Ethiopia, that was introduced in the 4th century B.C. As such it enjoys the following of the largest Christian followers and has a long and rich tradition as well as church traditions and celebrations that appealed to its followers all through the centuries. In short, Meskel of the finding of the true cross is considered by Ethiopian orthodox Christians as the ultimate holiday's that is connected with Jesus Christ's crucifixion and the finding of the cross on which he was crucified according to legend.
"Meskel, (Finding of the True Cross) is one of the major Ethiopian orthodox festivals and celebrated for two days. Legend has it that in the year 326, Queen Helena (Empress Helen) the mother of Constantinople the Great, discovered the cross upon which Christ was crucified." How the cross was found and by whom is a long story that is shortly expressed as follows, "Meskel is celebrated as a grand religious occasion among the Ethiopian orthodox believers because it is believed Amba Gishen which itself has a shape of a cross."
Now we are turning to another ancient spiritual festival outside the context of established religions as we described them above. This is a traditional or popular grassroots festival or celebration that is not only an old practice but also established, maintained and developed by the very people whose daily lives are closely linked and fueled by belief as well as worship of the Creator God or Waqa in Afan Oromo, who is considered not only the creator of everything, including nature and the seasons without which human life is impossible.
The difference between the established religions indicated above the Irreecha festival is that the former came from outside the country, Orthodox Christianity back in the 4th century and Islam in the 7th, wd while the Waqa belief system is entirely indigenous, created and nurtured by the common people whose lives depend on this very belief system. Irreecha is not only a traditional belief system but also a traditional or indigenous interpretation of creation as an act of Waaqa whose spirit transcends all human endeavor and is the ultimate power who takes care of human beings.
As such Irreecha is a practice reflecting one of the oldest African indigenous or traditional philosophies that put God as the creator of the material and non-material world. Irreecha is thus a popular, spiritual practice or ritual that reflects the Oromo and African world view about nature, man, creation and life in general. "Irreecha is an annual festival of the Oromo people, or a "thanksgiving celebrating the need of the winter in Oromia Region of Ethiopia. The Oromo people celebrate Irreecha to thank Waaqa (God) for the blessings and mercies they have received throughout the previous year."
The philosophy or the guiding ideas underpinning Irreecha are best expressed in the leading principles of the Gada system. "Primarily, the Gada system is an ancient philosophy of socio-political system that is responsible for regulating political stability, economic growth, and social services. it also includes cultural commitments ', ethical contract of the religious order of the Oromo society and practices of Gada democracy, that require equal participation of both men and women."
Gada is no doubt one of the most advanced traditional philosophy and system of human organization in Africa, that was and is practiced long before the concept of modern democracy was not invented. The Gada system of political and economic organization has served as an instrument of peaceful coexistence and survival for a long time although its appeals seems to be fading nowadays due to its marginalization in the face of so-called modern democratic organization which is imported from abroad and lacks originality and has never been applied or tested in practice in the modern political and social context.
Irreecha is therefore one of the biggest festivities that take place annually in Ethiopia. This year's Irreecha will be celebrated both in Addis Ababa and Bishoftu and in other minor locations and will be attended by millions of people from the Oromia and other regions of the country. In a way, Irreecha is also a unifying festival that is attended by the Oromo people as well as people outside the region and the culture. According to Wikipedia, "Irreecha thanksgiving is celebrated at sacred lakes across Oromia region like the capital Hora Finfinnee and Hora Harsadi in Bishoftu. Once at the lake, festival goers immerse freshly cut green grass and the flowers they are carrying and sprinkle themselves and the places around them with lake water."
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Irreecha is a festival that ushers in the beginning of the harvesting season that follows winter which is generally a time of rainfall, floods and other natural phenomena that make life in the countryside a bit difficult. However, the advent of Irreecha symbolizes the end of the difficulties as winter is known for causing distress because of "the previous harvest that was collected in January is running short while the new harvest is not yet ripe. Nevertheless the temporary food shortage ends during the dry season ushered by Irreecha as many food crops like maize are ripe and families can eat their fill. Other crops like potato and barley will soon be ripe and ready for harvest as the sun continues to shine after Irreecha."
What is also remarkable about the Ethiopian month of September is that is not only packed with festivities but also embraces both the spiritual and material aspects of human life or combine the two in one powerful event that creates hope of a better future and proves once again the continued resilience and endurance of traditions and human lies in the face of many odds, thereby ensuring the continuity of generations and the perpetuation of human existence across many centuries.
