Filseta

Story of the fast

According to Tewahedo tradition, Saint Mary passed away peacefully without suffering. Following her death, angels carried her body under the Tree of Life. The Apostles fasted for fifteen days until an angel delivered her body for burial. Three days later, her body ascended to Heaven. The Apostle Thomas witnessed this Assumption while traveling and received a cloth called säbän as a sign of her glory. When Thomas met the other Apostles, they also longed to witness this miracle. The following year, they held a fifteen-day fast beginning on 7 August, after which Jesus Christ and Saint Mary appeared to them and celebrated the divine liturgy.

Daily prayer and monastic life

During the two weeks of Filseta, believers take part in regular church services. Priests hold hand-held crosses wrapped in cloth, recalling the holy garment entrusted to Thomas. Many worshippers travel to monasteries dedicated to Saint Mary and camp on the grounds for the entire period. Life during this retreat follows demanding rules. Pilgrims spend over ten hours each day in communal prayer, including long nocturnal and evening services. Participants do not contact the outside world, and some take vows of silence, using only writing to communicate while seeking spiritual cleansing.

Fasting and festival celebrations

Those observing the monastic retreat follow strict fasting rules. Outside food is strictly forbidden on monastery grounds. Pilgrims sustain themselves solely on water and a small handful of grain eaten in the evening hours. The intense two-week observance concludes on 22 August with a final liturgy revering Saint Mary. The close of the fast also brings cultural celebrations, such as the Ashenda festival in the Tigray and Amhara regions and parts of Eritrea, where young women dress in traditional clothing, beat drums, and sing together.

How Filseta is kept

Believers observe Filseta from 7 August through 22 August with daily liturgies. Worshippers attend church services, while others journey to Marian monasteries to camp on church grounds. Pilgrims pray for ten or more hours a day, avoid outside contact, and eat only a handful of grain with water in the evening. Priests cover their hand crosses in cloth in memory of the säbän garment. On the fifteenth day, the final liturgy concludes the fast, leading into regional celebrations like Ashenda.

When and where

Filseta is kept every year on the same fixed calendar dates. The observance spans fifteen consecutive days, beginning on 7 August and coming to a close on 22 August with the final feast of Saint Mary.

This tradition is maintained across Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is observed widely in local parishes and at dedicated Marian monasteries where pilgrims gather, as well as in regions like Tigray and Amhara.

What Filseta means

Filseta commemorates the peaceful Dormition and bodily Assumption of Saint Mary into heaven. For worshippers, undertaking fifteen days of fasting and prayer mirrors the dedication of the Apostles. Pilgrims believe that enduring physical restraint, prayer, and silence purifies them from sin and ensures their personal petitions are heard.

Questions people ask about Filseta

See also

Holy SaturdayThe closing day of Holy Week, a Saturday of waiting, fasting and vigil before EasterDormition of the Mother of GodA major feast in Eastern Christianity marking the death and heavenly ascent of Mary.Beheading of John the BaptistA Christian holy day of strict fasting that marks the death of John the BaptistSigdAn Ethiopian Jewish holiday of covenant renewal, fasting, and longing for Zion

Good reading and sources

• Filseta on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.