---
title: "Irreecha in Ethiopia | Taste of Ethiopia"
description: "Explore Irreecha in Ethiopia: its date, meaning and traditions, with a live countdown and cultural guide from Taste of Ethiopia."
url: "https://testofethiopiarestaurant.com.au/events/irreecha"
---

Oromo thanksgiving festival

# Irreecha

Irreecha is the Oromo thanksgiving festival of gratitude, renewal, peace and the arrival of Birraa after the rainy season.

3 Oct 2026 - 4 Oct 2026

**\--** days  **\--** hours  **\--** minutes  **\--** seconds

Meskerem 23, 2019 E.C. · Addis Ababa time

![A large Irreecha gathering beside the water in Ethiopia](https://testofethiopiarestaurant.com.au/assets/events/irreecha.webp)

Photo: [Mohammed Kassahun, CC BY-SA 4.0](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Irreecha_Festival.jpg)

CALENDAR NOTE

The principal celebrations are held on the first weekend of October; the announced programme can vary by place.

[View the full cultural calendar](https://testofethiopiarestaurant.com.au/events)

01 · MEANING

## What it means.

The festival gives thanks to Waaqa for life, mercy and the passage from the dark rainy months into a season of light, growth and harvest. It is also a powerful gathering of Oromo identity and unity.

02 · TRADITION

## How it is marked.

Celebrants wear white and carry fresh grass and flowers. At water, elders lead blessings and people dip the grass into the water before lifting or sprinkling it in a gesture of gratitude and renewal.

03 · EXPERIENCE

## What you may see.

Major gatherings take place at Hora Finfinne in Addis Ababa and Hora Harsadi in Bishoftu. Song, ululation, colour and long processions turn the weekend into one of Ethiopia's largest open-air cultural gatherings.

[Next in the cultural year **Ethiopian National Unity Day**](https://testofethiopiarestaurant.com.au/events/national-unity-day)

## Structured data

```json
[
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
    "itemListElement": [
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 1,
        "name": "Home",
        "item": "https://testofethiopiarestaurant.com.au/"
      },
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 2,
        "name": "Events",
        "item": "https://testofethiopiarestaurant.com.au/events"
      },
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 3,
        "name": "Irreecha",
        "item": "https://testofethiopiarestaurant.com.au/events/irreecha"
      }
    ]
  }
]
```