About Irreecha (Oromo Thanksgiving)
Irreecha is the thanksgiving festival of the Oromo people, held as the rainy season Ganna ends and the bright season Birraa begins. Millions gather at sacred waters — Hora Finfinne in Addis Ababa on the Saturday, and Lake Hora Arsadi in Bishoftu on the Sunday — making it one of the largest annual human gatherings on the African continent. The countdown above tracks the days until the next celebration.
Celebrants dress in white and the Oromo colours, carry bunches of fresh grass and flowers called irreessa, dip them in the lake water and raise them in thanks to Waaqa, the creator in the Waaqeffanna tradition. Elders lead the blessings, and the crowd sings, drums and dances along the shore. It is a thanksgiving for surviving the dark, rain-heavy months and for the harvest ahead, and increasingly a public expression of Oromo identity celebrated by diaspora communities from Minnesota to Melbourne.
The exact weekend is announced each year by the Oromo cultural authorities, and it has fallen on the first weekend of October in recent years. This page follows that pattern and is updated when the official date is confirmed.
Upcoming dates
| 2026 | Sunday, October 4, 2026next |
| 2027 | Sunday, October 3, 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, October 1, 2028 |
| 2029 | Sunday, October 7, 2029 |
| 2030 | Sunday, October 6, 2030 |
FAQ
When is Irreecha?
In early October, over a weekend announced each year — in recent years the first Sunday of October, with celebrations at Hora Finfinne in Addis Ababa the day before.
What does Irreecha celebrate?
It gives thanks for the end of the rainy season and the arrival of Birraa, the bright season, and for the harvest, blessings and survival of the year past.
Where is Irreecha celebrated?
At sacred lakes and rivers across Oromia. The largest gatherings are at Lake Hora Arsadi in Bishoftu and at Hora Finfinne in Addis Ababa.
What is irreessa?
The fresh green grass and flowers carried by celebrants. They are dipped in the water and raised in thanks — the ritual the festival is named for.