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|Body=The Sidama people celebrate the Fichee-Chambalaalla festival at the beginning of every New Year. In oral tradition, | |Body=The Sidama people of Ethiopia celebrate the Fichee-Chambalaalla festival at the beginning of every New Year. In the oral tradition, it commemorates a Sidama woman who upon her marriage, brought buurisame, a meal prepared from false banana, milk, and butter, shared with neighbours once every year after she visited her parents and relatives. | ||
According to Sidama tradition, an elder (astrologer) observes the movement of the stars to determine the date for the Fichchee festival and the beginning of the New Year. As a result, the Sidama New Year is unique in the sense that it does not have a fixed date. Rather, it rotates every year following the movements of the stars. It is believed that there are thirteen months in a year on Sidama and that each month has 28 days, whereas the 13th month has 29 days. | |||
The fichee is a symbol of unity for the Sidama people which has become a symbol of the people as a whole. Every year, astrologers determine the correct date for the festival, which is then announced to the clans by announcing it to the people. Throughout the festival, many activities involve the whole community, such as traditional songs and dances. Every member participates irrespective of age, gender and social status. | |||
As part of a custom starting from the first day of the holiday season, it is customary for children to go from house to house greeting their neighbours, who will then serve them with buurisame. In the course of this festival, clan leaders advise the Sidama people to work hard, respect and support the elders, and abstain from cutting down indigenous trees, begging, indolence, misleading the authorities, and stealing. | |||
As a result, it is believed that this festival promotes equity, good governance, social cohesion, peaceful coexistence, and integration among the Sidama clans and the diverse ethnic groups that inhabit Ethiopia. | |||
Children are taught the tradition orally and by participating in celebrations with their parents. A lot of women, in particular, pass on knowledge and skills associated with hairdressing and the preparation of buurisame to their daughters and other girls in the villages in which they live. | |||
|Subject=Ritual | |Subject=Ritual | ||
|Country=Ethiopia | |Country=Ethiopia | ||
}} | }} | ||
Latest revision as of 11:54, 29 April 2022
The Sidama people of Ethiopia celebrate the Fichee-Chambalaalla festival at the beginning of every New Year. In the oral tradition, it commemorates a Sidama woman who upon her marriage, brought buurisame, a meal prepared from false banana, milk, and butter, shared with neighbours once every year after she visited her parents and relatives.
According to Sidama tradition, an elder (astrologer) observes the movement of the stars to determine the date for the Fichchee festival and the beginning of the New Year. As a result, the Sidama New Year is unique in the sense that it does not have a fixed date. Rather, it rotates every year following the movements of the stars. It is believed that there are thirteen months in a year on Sidama and that each month has 28 days, whereas the 13th month has 29 days.
The fichee is a symbol of unity for the Sidama people which has become a symbol of the people as a whole. Every year, astrologers determine the correct date for the festival, which is then announced to the clans by announcing it to the people. Throughout the festival, many activities involve the whole community, such as traditional songs and dances. Every member participates irrespective of age, gender and social status.
As part of a custom starting from the first day of the holiday season, it is customary for children to go from house to house greeting their neighbours, who will then serve them with buurisame. In the course of this festival, clan leaders advise the Sidama people to work hard, respect and support the elders, and abstain from cutting down indigenous trees, begging, indolence, misleading the authorities, and stealing.
As a result, it is believed that this festival promotes equity, good governance, social cohesion, peaceful coexistence, and integration among the Sidama clans and the diverse ethnic groups that inhabit Ethiopia.
Children are taught the tradition orally and by participating in celebrations with their parents. A lot of women, in particular, pass on knowledge and skills associated with hairdressing and the preparation of buurisame to their daughters and other girls in the villages in which they live.