PM Abiy and First Lady Mark Ethiopian New Year by Sharing Holiday Meal, Celebrating Enduring Culture of Community

Addis Ababa, September 11, 2026 (FMC) — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and First Lady Zinash Tayachew shared the annual holiday meal with members of a local community as Ethiopia celebrated the New Year.

The gathering highlighted the enduring Ethiopian tradition of sharing meals during holiday seasons and in everyday community life.

The Office of the Prime Minister said the continuation of the tradition from the past to the present demonstrates that it remains a defining characteristic of Ethiopian society.

The shared New Year meal thus reflected a longstanding cultural practice in which people come together around food, particularly during holidays, as Ethiopia welcomed the beginning of 2019 Ethiopian Calendar.