Ethiopian Festivals | Culture, Travel & Events

‘Meskel’, one of Ethiopian world heritage event that is held on the main Meskal square in the very heart of of Addis Ababa, the capital on every 26 & 27 of September annually. Meskal is the most important liturgical holidays for Ethiopian Orthodox believers', commemorating the finding of the true cross in the fourth century by Queen Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. For the memorial, they build a big ‘Demera’ bonfire in the center of MESKEL SQUARE. Many clergies, priests and people from all direction come to attend the ceremony with prayers and quire from Sunday school students. UNESCO has registered MESKEL as an intangible heritage of the world.

‘Timket’ is celebrated from18 -20th of January, celebrated by the Followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Religion. The festival is held for the commemoration of the baptism of Lord Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. Replica of the Arks literally called ‘Tabot’ will come out from each churches by priests and moved towards the river or the main field of celebration for overnight to stay for an night or or two. The pool or stream is then blessed and sprinkled on believers after a long prayer that is led by The Archbishop or High priest. Everyone will battle to reach the water and share the blessing. The Tabots are then returned to their respective churches in the same way in which they were brought out. Gondar is on of the best place for the celebration of TIMKET beside Addis Ababa. TIMKET is another intangible World heritage recorded by UNESCO.

Every year on January 7th, Ethiopians celebrate ‘GENNA’ Ethiopian Christmas. Genna is headed by a Night watch after 40 days of fasting. There is a church service on Christmas Eve that lasts all night till 9 a.m. Genna is primarily a national holiday, and people in the countryside still play a hockey-like game called Yegenna Chewata. Lalibela is the best place to celebrate Gena. Clergies will dance up on top of the court yard of Bete Mariam, one of the monolithic rocks cut church of Lalibela.

The Great Ethiopian Run is an annual 10-kilometre road running event which takes place in late November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 45,000 participants. The Great Ethiopian Run in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was first held in 2001. The race was founded by Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie, Peter Middlebrook, and Abi Masefield. The race's goal is to make running a lifestyle for everyone.

Ethiopian Muslims across the country celebrated the Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Muslims in large number gathered at Addis Ababa Stadium to celebrate the1445th Eid al-Fitr. Similarly, the occasion was also observed in different parts of the country since early morning.

The Gishen Mariam celebration is a festival held in Ethiopia on October 1st to commemorate the deposition of the True Cross at the Gishen Mariam monastery up on the Northern Ethiopia in the place called the mount of Ambasel in the province of Northern Wollo.

This is a feast colorfully celebrated every year on November 30 at every church dedicated to St. Mary. The day is observed with special fervor particularly in Axum Tsion where the ArK of the Covenant is housed safely.he occasion is attended by massive Christian pilgrimages from all over Ethiopia and also foreign visitors making it one of the most joyous annual pilgrimages in Axum, the sacred city of Ethiopians.The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion claims to contain the original Ark of the Covenant.The Feast of the Ark of the Covenant (locally known as Tabote Tsion) is held in commemoration of different historical events including the coming of the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia and the construction of the first church dedicated to St. Mary in Axum.The day also marks the destruction of Dagon by the power of the ark of God, as recorded in the Bible, and the return of the ArK to Israel after seven months of exile at the Dagon’s house in Philistine. (1 Samuel 4; 6)