Ukuli Bula is the Hamar people’s Ethiopian bull-jumping initiation ceremony.
The Hamar, also called Hamer, are an ethnic group living mainly in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. In the ceremony, a male initiate must run across the backs of cattle, traditionally four times, as part of his passage toward adult status and marriage eligibility.
The event is embedded in a wider social gathering involving relatives, dancing, singing, and exchanges between families. The initiate’s success is understood as a public demonstration of readiness and self-control, not just athletic ability.
Travel accounts sometimes call the event “bull jumping,” while Hamar-language and local descriptions use Ukuli Bula. It should not be confused with the Maasai Eunoto ceremony, which concerns a later transition from warriorhood to elderhood. Contemporary practice can vary, and outside portrayals often simplify the ceremony’s broader social meaning.