Irrecha Promotes National Unity, Peace-building Beyond Thanksgiving: Scholars

Addis Ababa ENA October 4/2019 Beyond its merits of thanksgiving and praying, the celebration of Irrecha festival is instrumental of unity and peace building, scholars said.

The Scholars in an exclusive interview with ENA said that Irrecha is the grandest festival in Oromo Society that sermonize peace, reconciliation and unity among people.

As the most colorful annual thanksgiving and prayer event, Irrecha marked the changeover from the main rainy summer season in Ethiopia to Autumn symbolized the advent of bright new year.

Social Anthropologist, Daniel Deressa, said Irrecha, which serves as an event for annual thanksgiving, it promotes love and unity to uphold peaceful coexistence in the society.

He noted that the festival reflects merit to thank God for helping the Oromo people passing through the dark rainy season, and hoping for bright future including preserving their unity, peace and wellbeing.

The core value of Irrecha centers peaceful and love, Daniel said, adding “I think others should replicate it, because Irrecha is for love, unity, living in harmony and crystallizes idea of unity.”

“A person cannot go to Irrecha unless he settled his dispute with others. Only people at harmony with each other allowed presiding over Irrecha festive. This means, all people who go to Irrecha should clear themselves of their variance with others, unless and otherwise, there is believe that, their Waqa (God) will not accept their pray and song.”

Daniel emphasized the need to delve into peaceful resolution of difference across the country through common understanding of constructive dialogue, reconciliation and love among people as Irrecha entails.

Historian and Researcher at Oromo Cultural Center, Professor Alemayehu Haile, stated that Irrecha festive brings people closer to each other and strengthen social bonds.

The annual celebration of Irrecha, as it all about Thanksgiving Day, is one of the elements of Geda system that contributed to social development, Alemayehu said.

 ­“The ritual and culture of Geda community mainly consists of three areas; peace, abundance of rain and fertility. That is why all songs call for Waqa (God). Therefore, Irrecha festival is about praying together for peace, reconciliation and fertility.”

 Aba Geda, Dadi Raya on his part said Irrecha festival is an annual peace building event that needs to extend beyond the Oromo people.

“The base of Irrecha is love, peace and unity among people. Consequently, the Oromo offer his praise to God for marking from dark rainy season. Therefore, we want to celebrate this festival with all nations and nationalities of the country because unity can bring change, peace and development which is important for the nations”.

Traditionally, the Oromo people practice Irrecha ritual as thanksgiving celebration twice a year (in autumn and spring) to praise God culturally known as (Irrecha Melka) along the river bank and (Irrecha Tullu) on hill tops.