Oromia Chief Administrator thanks stakeholders for peaceful and colorful celebration of Harsade Irreecha festival
Addis Ababa, October 5, 2025 (FMC) — Oromia Regional State Chief Administrator has extended heartfelt gratitude to all stakeholders for their role in ensuring the successful, peaceful, and vibrant celebration of the Harsade Irreecha Festival in Bishoftu.
The festival, held at the scenic Lake Harsade under the theme “Irreecha for National Leap Up,” drew hundreds of thousands of celebrants from across Oromia and beyond.
The event brought together Abbaa Gadaas, Hadha Sinqees, community members, youth, farmers, and representatives of various Ethiopian communities, along with foreign visitors, in a jubilant atmosphere of thanksgiving and unity.
Extending his heartfelt appreciation after the event, the Chief Administrator noted that this year’s Harsade Irreecha was observed with deep cultural pride and in full respect for the Gadaa system’s cherished values and traditions.
He described Irreecha as a festival that embodies love, unity, peace, and gratitude, symbolizing the Oromo people’s collective spirit and their appreciation to Waaqa (the Creator) for a peaceful transition from the rainy season to a season of abundance and light.
He expressed appreciation to the Bishoftu City Administration, the youth, security forces, and local and international media for their vital roles in facilitating a smooth and colorful celebration.
He also reaffirmed that efforts to inscribe Irreecha on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity will continue to be pursued with strengthened commitment.
It is to be recalled that the Hora Finfinne Irreecha Festival was similarly celebrated in Addis Ababa on October 4, attracting tens of thousands of festivalgoers from the Oromia region and the capital.
Irreecha, an ancient thanksgiving tradition, marks a time when the Oromo people express gratitude for the end of the rainy season and offer prayers for peace, prosperity, and a fruitful year ahead.