Irreecha is the Ethiopian harvest festival celebrated by the Oromo people, including a blessing associated with the festival.
Irreecha is an Oromo thanksgiving celebration held at the end of the rainy season. Participants express gratitude to Waaqa, the Oromo creator deity, for life, rain, and the season’s harvest. The festival is strongly associated with water, grass, flowers, and other signs of renewal.
Large gatherings take place especially at Hora Arsadi near Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa. People wear traditional clothing, sing, dance, and carry bunches of green grass or flowers. Similar observances are held in other Oromo communities.
Irreecha is sometimes described simply as an Ethiopian thanksgiving festival, but that wording can obscure its specifically Oromo cultural and religious roots. It is distinct from national Ethiopian celebrations such as Meskel and Timkat.