Irreecha (also called Irreessa or Dhibaayyuu ), is thanksgiving holiday celebrating the end of the winter in Oromia Region , Ethiopia . Irreecha is the most celebrated cultural festival in Africa . The Oromo people celebrate Irreecha to thank Waaqa (God) for the blessings and mercies they have received throughout the previous year. The Irreecha festival is celebrated every year at the beginning of Birraa (Spring), new season after the dark and rainy winter season. It is attended by hundreds of thousands people. The thanksgiving is celebrated at sacred lakes across Oromia Region like the Hora Finfinne and Hora Harsadi, Bishoftu , Oromia Region as a whole. Once at the lake, festival-goers immerse freshly cut green grass and the flowers they are carrying and sprinkle themselves and place in water.
23-649: In 2019, the festival was celebrated in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia and the regional state of Oromia, followed by Irreecha in Bishoftu . The 2020 Irreecha in Addis Ababa was celebrated by around 5,000 people due to political tension and the COVID-19 pandemic . Irreecha is also celebrated around the world where diaspora Oromos live especially in North America and Europe. Many people interpreted
46-566: A 5-year course for boys 12–15 years of age. An Evangelical College had been founded two years before, which was a joint undertaking of Swedish, Norwegian, and German Evangelical missions. The Evangelical College's first headmaster was Sven Rubenson . The Animal Health Assistants Training School was established in Bishoftu in 1963, with financial support by the United Nations Special Fund . The artist Lemma Tesefa Kesime
69-481: A definite entity, did not come into existence until after the Second World War . Accounts of earlier travelers call the region "Adda", although one Swedish memoir from 1935 mentions a village named "Bishoftu"; the future Cabinet minister Makonnen Habte-Wold was born in this village. At about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi; 0.54 nmi) from Adda, on land that had been owned partly by Emperor Haile Selassie I ,
92-484: A rainy season from June to September and a dry season from October to May. During the rainy season, Bishoftu is lush and green, with frequent showers that nourish the landscape. In contrast, the dry season brings clear skies and warm, sunny days, though temperatures remain comfortable, rarely reaching extremes. This balanced climate, coupled with the town's picturesque lakes and rolling hills, makes Bishoftu an inviting destination for both residents and visitors. Bishoftu, as
115-428: A result 52 people lost their lives after falling into ditches around Lake Hora. On 10 March 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed near the town of Bishoftu. All 157 people aboard perished. The 2007 national census reported a total population for Bishoftu of 99,928, of whom 47,860 were men and 52,068 were women. The majority of the inhabitants said they practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity , with 79.75% of
138-553: A station on the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway . Bishoftu, a town located in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, enjoys a temperate climate that is relatively mild compared to other parts of the country. Nestled at an elevation of around 1,900 meters (6,200 feet) above sea level, Bishoftu benefits from cooler temperatures year-round, making it a pleasant escape from the heat of the lowlands. The town experiences two main seasons:
161-658: A time of hunger for some because the previous harvest collected in January is running short and the new harvest is not ripe yet. Because of this, some families may endure food shortages during the winter. In Birraa (Spring in Oromoland), this shortage ends as many food crops especially maize is ripe and families can eat their fill. Other crops like potato, barley, etc. will also be ripe in Birraa. Some disease types like malaria also break out during rainy winter time. Because of this,
184-569: Is tightly woven with the history of Bishoftu. In 1946, the beginnings of what would become the Ethiopian Air Force was moved from Lideta airport in Addis Ababa , which was needed by Ethiopian Airlines , to Bishoftu. The initial group of 19 Swedes under Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen , who were to train the pilots and support personal, arrived there after leaving Sweden between 9 January and 16 July 1946. Both Ethiopian cadets and
207-732: The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front bypassed the capital and occupied Bishoftu in May, 1991, bringing order to the area after the collapse of the Mengistu government, taking control of what remained of the Soviet-supplied Air Force. The airbase was also used to detain several dozen senior military officers after the capture of the capital. On 2 October 2016 at Irreechaa celebration security forces fired tear gas at protesters forcing them to panic and as
230-597: The Gadaa lunar calendar has been designated as National Thanksgiving Day by modern-day Oromo people. On 2 October 2016, between 55 and 300 festival goers were killed in a stampede at the Irreecha cultural thanksgiving festival, which was the largest and most sacred cultural festival for the Oromo people. In just one day, dozens were killed and many more were injured during the stampede. Locals blamed security forces for triggering
253-745: The Irrecha festival of the Oromo people as a festival of difficulty period between the month of June and September. But the reality is not as many have exaggerated today. The Irrecha festival is a celebration to welcome the expected seeds and fruits of prosperity, and peace. The Oromo people also consider the winter rainy season of June to September as a time of difficulty in communication with families and friends due to heavy rains which could cause rivers to swell and floods that may drown people, cattle, crop, and flood homes. Also, family relationships will suffer during winter rain as they can not visit each other because of swelling rivers. In addition, winter time could be
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#1732773317292276-549: The Italians started Azienda Agraria di Biscioftu dell'Opera Nazionale per i Combattenti on 15,000 hectares, intending to create a center of colonization as well as an experimental agricultural station. The first foundation stone for the houses was laid 9 December 1937, but only 21 dwellings were ready by May 1938. Various administrative and service buildings were also built. The history of the Ethiopian Air Force
299-485: The Oromo name, Bishoftu from bishaanooftuu (which translates to "watery"), which was its name until 1955. The town serves as the primary airbase of the Ethiopian Air Force . Bishoftu is located 47.9 kilometres (29.8 mi) southeast of Addis Ababa along its route 4 highway. It is a resort town , known for its several lakes. The town is located within the Bishoftu volcanic field, an area of Holocene lava flows, cinder cones , tuff rings and maars . Several of
322-574: The Oromo people celebrate this auspicious event to mark the end of the rainy season, known as Ganna, which 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 Melbaa - the Dark Time of starvation and hunger- was established on the Sunday of last week of September or the Sunday of the 1st week of October according to
345-642: The Oromos see winter as a difficult season. It does not mean the Oromo people hate rain or the winter season at all. Even when there is a shortage of rain, they pray to Waaqa (God) for rain. The Oromo people celebrate Irreecha not only to thank Waaqa (God) but also to welcome the new season of plentiful harvests after the dark and rainy winter season associated with nature and creatures. At Irreecha festivals, friends, family, and relatives gather together and celebrate with joy and happiness. Irreecha festivals bring people closer to each other and make social bonds. Moreover,
368-707: The Pasqua Giuseppe PLC, the Salmida Leather Products Manufacturing, Ratson (Women Youth Children Development Programme), and Winrock International Ethiopia. The Bishoftu Research Center, founded in 1953, is run by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research , specializing in agricultural research , which includes acting as the national center for research to improve the yield of teff , lentils , chickpeas , and poultry . In January 2007 Bishoftu became
391-511: The Swedish instructors took part in constructing the first buildings on the base. Six Saab 91 Safir training airplanes were bought in Sweden and flown to the new airbase 24 December 1946, and on 10 November 1947, a fleet of 16 Saab-built B-17s were landed at Bishoftu by Swedish pilots. Bishoftu has had telephone service since 1954. Bishoftu Technical High School was established in 1958 with
414-542: The leading veterinary vaccine research and production center currently producing more than 20 livestock vaccines. Next door to the national veterinary institute is the school of veterinary medicine of Addis Ababa University. The Gafat Armament Engineering Complex is located here. According to the Nordic Africa Institute website, other major businesses in Bishoftu include the Ada Flour and Pasta Factory,
437-515: The maars are water-filled, forming five crater lakes : Lake Bishoftu , Lake Hora (a base for watersports , many water birds and an annual festival), Lake Bishoftu Guda , Lake Koriftu and the seasonal Lake Cheleklaka . Other nearby points of interest include Mount Yerer , Green Crater Lake and Lake Hora Kiloli . Bishoftu is also home to the Ethiopian Air Force and the Harar Meda Airport ( ICAO HAHM, IATA QHR), as well as
460-587: The population reporting they observed this belief, while 13.82% of the population were Protestant , and 4.98% of the population were Muslim . The 1994 census reported Bishoftu had a total population of 73,372 of whom 35,058 were men and 38,314 were women. The three largest ethnic groups reported for this town were the Amhara (42.85%), the Oromo (39.40%) and the Gurage (8.30%); all other ethnic groups made up 9.44% of
483-493: The population. Amharic is spoken as a first language by 71.95%, and 20.12% spoke Oromo ; the remaining 7.93% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning religious beliefs, 87.87% of the population said they practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity , 6.93% were Protestants , and 4.02% were Muslim . The city is home for the National Veterinary Institute of Ethiopia, established in 1963,
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#1732773317292506-533: The stampede. Bishoftu Bishoftu ( Oromo : Bishooftuu ; Amharic : ቢሾፍቱ ) is a town in central Ethiopia . Located in the East Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region , it sits at an elevation of 1,920 metres (6,300 ft). It was formerly known as Debre Zeyit ( Amharic : ደብረ ዘይት , lit. 'Mount of Olives'). However, since the late 1990s, it has been officially known by
529-536: Was born (1956) in Bishoftu. He studied at the Art School 1972-1974 and received his M.A. from the Soviet Union in 1983. Returning to Ethiopia, Lemma Tesefa became a teacher at the art school in Addis Ababa. Bishoftu was also the favored weekend retreat of Emperor Haile Selassie , who built a palace in the town, named "Fairfield" after his wartime home in exile in the town of Bath, England. Armed forces of
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