Ashenda
Ashenda (Tigrinya: ኣሸንዳ; Amharic: አሸንዳ) is an annual festival celebrated by Tigray (Ethiopia), Agew (Ethiopia) and some Amhara (Ethiopia) women. Ashenda also known as "Girls’ day" is a festival awaited by women of Tigray of all ages. Although Ashenda is celebrated primarily by teenage girls, females of all age group get to participate in this national festival, during this festival men are expected to be on their best behavior. Girls prepare for the celebration of Ashenda in leading months. Prior to the celebration, groups of girls make preparations for the holiday by buying new clothes, visiting hairdressers, preparing drums and harvesting the distinctive 'Ashenda' grass (which will be tied around their waist for the celebration). The holiday started as a religious one, but evolved to a cultural one. Its origin can be traced to ancient Israel a common way Hebrew women celebrated their Holidays, victory, heroes (Exodus 15:20) After the introduction of Christianity into Ethiopia in the 4th century AD the celebration began to have religious tone and merge with Christian beliefs, those celebrating it now see it as a commemoration of the heavenly ascension of the Virgin Mary following her Dormition, a feast called Filseta. It is typically celebrated between 16 and 26 August every year. In the Tigray region, girls and women of all religions now celebrate Ashenda.
| Ashenda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Official name | Ashenda |
| Also called | Girls' Day |
| Observed by | Ethiopia |
| Type | Cultural |
| Begins | 16 August |
| Ends | 26 August |
| Date | After ending of Filseta feast |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Filseta |
Celebration
On the first day, some of the Ashenda girls gather together and make the journey to their local Church of St. Mary (or any other Orthodox Tewahedo Church in the community), playing music and dancing. They then go around the entire village, expressing their thanks to each household in the community. The Ashenda girls spend around 20 minutes at each house, entertaining families and themselves, before being bid farewell usually with gifts of money, food or drink. After the door to door celebrations, the girls find a suitable field in or near the village, spending between a day to a week dancing and playing in the field while passing men are urged to provide gifts of money.
All money and gifts collected over the course of the celebration are then donated to a charity, the Church or other events.
Name
Ashenda is named after the long, thin "Ashenda" grass which girls tie to hang down from their waists in a fashionable pattern. The Ashenda grass has come to symbolize the religious festival, as dancing girls move their waists causing the leaves to shake in an eye-catching manner. The festival also called “Maria”, “Aynewari”, "Ashendye", "Solel".[1]
See also
References
- "Ashenda, Ashendye, Aynewari, Maria, Shadey, Solel, Ethiopian girls' festival - intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
Further reading
- Yohannes, Gebregeorgis (2010). Tirhas Celebrates Ashenda: An Ethiopian Girls' Festival. Sololia Publishing. ISBN 9781883701024.