The Committee
- Takes note that Ethiopia has nominated Gifaataa, Wolaita people New Year festival (No. 02315) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
Gifaataa is a New Year festival celebrated by the Wolaita community between mid-September and early October. Before the festival starts, people clean their surroundings and return home to be with their families. Disputes are resolved peacefully in preparation for the new year. On the main day of the festival, families come together to share raw meat and local beer and to receive blessings from elders. In the evenings, the community gathers around a bonfire for rituals, singing and dancing. The festival lasts ten days ends with a large community celebration known as ‘goolo-igetta’, which includes horse riding, music and final blessings from elders.
- Considers that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
R.1: There are specific gender and age roles associated with Gifaataa. Girls help their mothers prepare traditional food and drinks and decorate houses, while boys assist their fathers with tasks like collecting firewood, building bonfires and repairing homes. Elders promote social harmony, resolving conflicts, advising on farming techniques and offering blessings. The knowledge and skills related to Gifaataa are passed down within families through participation in the festivities, and by schools, local media and cultural organizations. The practice promotes intergenerational connection, peace, unity and solidarity. It also provides an opportunity for youth to choose marriage partners.
R.2: The file explains the element’s contribution to various aspects of sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on promoting food security, as it encourages the community to cultivate ‘enset’ (false banana), sweet potato and a drought-resistant root plant locally known as ‘boynaa’. It also contributes to peace and social cohesion, through broad participation in the Gifaataa festival, regardless of age, gender, religion or any other social status. Its contribution to inclusive economic development is directly linked to engaging the market of agricultural products, traditional cloths and handcraft materials. Finally, focusing on environmental sustainability, cutting down healthy trees without elder’s permission is forbidden.
R.3: The submitting State Party included safeguarding measures by the State with various entities and the practising communities in the nomination file. The measures encompass education, documentation, media engagement, curriculum integration and the legal protection of cultural spaces. They ensure the intergenerational transmission of the element, particularly through the active role of elders, educational institutions and heritage clubs in schools. Annual research symposia, curriculum integration and local directives to safeguard cultural spaces also reinforce the festival’s continuity.
R.4: A large number of community members were directly involved in the nomination process since the first discussions raised eight years ago at a research symposium on the element. During the subsequent workshops and public awareness activities, several official national, regional and local institutions worked directly with the community to prepare the nomination file. The consent of the community concerned is demonstrated by both the written (in English and Amharic) text file and the audiovisual (filmed) community statement.
- Further considers that, from the information included in the file and the information provided by the submitting State Party through the dialogue process, the nomination satisfies the following criterion for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
R.5: The element was included in the National Register of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ethiopia in 2016. This inventory is maintained by the Ethiopian Heritage Authority and is updated every two or three years through the direct participation of community representatives, elders, and practitioners.
- Decides to inscribe Gifaataa, Wolaita people New Year festival on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.