President Taye Extends Greetings on the Occasion of Irreecha Festival

Addis Ababa, October 3, 2025 (FMC) – President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Taye Atske-Selassie, has conveyed his greetings on the occasion of the Irreecha festival.

In his message, the President congratulated the Oromo people and all participants on the celebration of Irreecha, expressing his wishes for the holiday to be a time of joy, prosperity, and blessings.

Irreecha is the traditional thanksgiving festival of the Oromo people. It is celebrated to express gratitude to the Creator for the blessings of the past year and to pray for peace, abundance, and mercy in the year ahead. Central to the festival is the symbolic role of water, which in Oromo tradition represents purity, the foundation of life, and the source of creation. During the holiday, prayers are offered in honor of God the Creator, God of all creatures, and the God of Burqa Walabu, regarded as the origin of life.

This year, Irreecha is being celebrated under the theme “Irreecha for National Leap Forward” with major gatherings in Addis Ababa at Hora Finfinne on Saturday, October 4, and in Bishoftu at Hora Harsade on Sunday, October 5, where tens of thousands of Oromos are expected to participate along with representatives of other communities across Ethiopia.