Snapshots along with Melodies as Ethiopian Citizens Mark Annual Thanksgiving
A multitude of brightly clothed Ethiopians assembled in downtown Addis Ababa for the annual thanksgiving festival this weekend.
This thanksgiving celebration is celebrated by the Oromo people, the biggest community, and occurs at the end of the land's major rainy season.
Every year, festival-goers come together around revered natural water sources to give thanks to their higher powers for the fertile landscape that the rains have brought.
"I have participated in this celebration for the past nine years," commented twenty-five-year-old one attendee.
"To me, this event embodies my identity, it showcases the honor and greatness of my community."
Males, females, the older generation and the youth all join in, adorned in eye-catching attire and jewellery.
They sing, dance, share stories and deposit newly gathered foliage and floral arrangements in the water - denoting existence, renewal and aspiration.
Global Participation
The celebration brings in participants from throughout the country, attendees fly in from around the world.
"I visited last year - it was wonderful, so magnificent, I brought my kids with me currently," mentioned an international guest, hailing from abroad.
"It's wonderful. All people welcomes you, each person offers affection and says welcome."
Event Program
The first day of the celebration occurred on recently in the main city. On the next day, celebrants made their way to a provincial location, a community close to the urban center.
Although the festival has its foundations in indigenous faith systems, it is now observed by the majority of Oromos, irrespective of their faith.
Modern Changes
In the recent years, the figure of participants participating in the celebration has expanded substantially. This is partly due to the growth of online networks, where various younger generation capture their outfits, dancing and vocal performances during the festival.
Past Context
In the previous years, the festival was served as a stage for anti-government protests - the Oromo people have historically expressed concerns about political and economic marginalisation.
Nonetheless, the latest gathering unfolded peacefully, with an emphasis on joy, togetherness and cultural pride.
