Shuwalid festival (Ethiopia)
Nomination: Representative List 2023
EN: Boys collect fire woods that are used for heating drums from households in the walled city of Harar (Jugol). On this occasion, elders offer heartfelt verbal blessing to the boys for their contribution towards successoful celebration of the festival
EN: Small and large drums (karabu) used for colorful celebration of the holiday need to be heated with fire from the firewood collected so that they produce the desired sound and qualified to be used for the occasion
EN: After the drums prepared, heated and put in the designated places at the venue, elderly people who have experience of beating drum will assess if the drum is adequately heated to provide the desired sound for performance of the ritual
EN: Performance of the festival starts with the seating arrangements of practitioners and participants. Murid, who are leaders of the Awatch and masters of the ceremony, sit in the designated place and prepare for commencement of the ritual.
EN: Women and the other practitioners of the element participate in the Shuwalid festival holding Rahan leaves with their hands or put it on their heads and ears to produce nice odor in and around the venue of the festival.
EN: The celebration of Shuwalid Festival takes place at the shrine or Awatch found at the two main entrance gates of the walled city of Harar or Jugol. Awatch is the holy place established in memory of great religious men.
EN: One of the shrines that served as cultural space for Shuwalid festival is the holy place or Awatch of Aw Akebara found at the entrance gate of Asesum Beri (Felana Ber) of the Walled city of Harar or Jugol.
EN: The participants of the festival travel from one cultural space of Shuwalid that is Aw shulum Ahmad Awatch to another Aw Akebara Awatch in the street known as Amir Uga (street of Emir of the Harar Emirate).
EN: The girls attend the festival in group wearing colorful traditional costumes and jewelries on top of their nature endowed beauty. The festival gives the girls an opportunity to freely socialize and the young men to look for a girlfriend.
EN: The occasion is also used for marriage engagement among young boys and girls. Getting acquainted during Shuwalid festival and engaged into married life is still a living tradition of the Harari People.
