Gifaataa

Reading the moon

The timing of Gifaataa follows the lunar calendar. As the old year nears its finish, royal advisers gather at the palace with census experts to track the sky. Night watchers study the four quarters of the moon: poo'uwa, xumaa, xeeruwa, and Goobanaa. By observing the full moon cycle, they pinpoint the exact day the new year starts. Once they report their findings to the king, they receive a reward for their service. The ruler then shares the dates across the region, sending word through public assemblies and bustling open-air markets so families can prepare.

Gatherings and games

Festivities run across four straight days, starting on Thursday and culminating on Sunday. Relatives travel to gather in family homes, where they share traditional dishes made from meat and local cheese alongside regional drinks. Hospitality reaches beyond immediate kin, as neighbours invite one another over to join the table. The days are filled with song, communal dancing, and traditional sports, including a game known as leke played by local men. These shared pleasures bring the entire neighbourhood together in high spirits after months of labour.

Reconciliation and renewal

At its heart, Gifaataa acts as a bridge between the past and the future. The festival creates a formal time to resolve simmering conflicts and wipe away lingering resentment between relatives and neighbours. Making compromises and offering forgiveness are essential parts of the gathering, allowing people to enter the new year with unburdened minds. By clearing past grievances, the community renews its social bonds and preserves ancestral Wolayta values. In 2025, UNESCO formally inscribed this tradition on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

How Gifaataa is kept

Celebrations span four days from Thursday through Sunday. After royal observers track the lunar cycle and announce the dates at local markets, households prepare festive meals of meat and cheese. Relatives gather to eat, drink, dance, and play the traditional game of leke. During these visits, neighbours and family members work through past disagreements, compromise, and mend broken relationships so the community enters the new year unified and refreshed.

When and where

Gifaataa takes place annually in September. Royal advisers determine the exact four days by tracking the four phases of the moon and watching for the full lunar cycle.

The festival is celebrated across the Wolayita Zone, located in the Southern Region of Ethiopia, within local households, town squares, and village gathering places.

What Gifaataa means

Gifaataa means the beginning. The Wolayta view the festival as a bridge carrying people from the old to the new, and from darkness into light. Its core purpose is to wash away past grievances, heal social rifts, and restore goodwill, ensuring that families and neighbours step into the fresh season with renewed harmony.

Questions people ask about Gifaataa

See also

EnkutatashThe Ethiopian New Year festival of song, yellow daisies and family feastsNayrouzA Coptic feast marking the new year and honoring martyrs, kept in Egypt and Ethiopia.Nativity FastA forty-day Christian period of abstinence and prayer observed in preparation for Christmas.NowruzThe Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnics

Good reading and sources

• Gifaataa, Wolaita people New Year festivalUNESCO, Heritage listing
• Gifaataa, Wolaita people New Year festivalUNESCO, Article

• Gifaataa on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• 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.