Fiesta del WirshatoEtiopía
Lista de Salvaguardia Urgente 2014
EN: Gourds, collected from different houses, ready to be broken by young boys using heavy sticks during the Wirshato festival in Harar. However, there are shortage of gourds these days because of deforestation and the substitution of gourds with plastic technology.
EN: Youngsters break gourds using sticks during the Wirshato festival in the Walled City of Harar (Jugol). This symbolizes condemnation of the evils associated with drinking alcohols and wish peace and prosperity for the coming year.
EN: During the festival, young boys sing and dance the traditional Wirshato song by holding sticks. The poem of the song says that containers of alcoholic drinks be broken, look around in your kitchen and throw us a gourd to smash.
EN: Elders praying before eating porridge prepared for the Wirshato festival in the traditional house of the Harari people. On this occasion, everyone has to consume excessively. Otherwise, it is believed that they suffer from hunger throughout the new year.
EN: During the Wirshato festival, hyenas are also fed porridge which is made of different cereals. The porridge is prepared by Harari and Oromo women using heavy stick in metal bowl.
EN: On the occasion of the Wirshato festival, Harari and Oromo women put porridge on the stone bowl which is found at Aw Nigus Shrine. Aw Nigus is one of the cultural spaces for the feeding of hyenas annually.
EN: Pouring refined butter on porridge that is put on stone bowl which served as cultural space for hyena feeding during the Wirshato festival. The porridge is prepared with an abundance of pure butter poured over the dish like water.
EN: Wild hyenas are fed porridge with butter at Aw Nigus shrine which is found near Harar. If the hyenas ate more than half of the bowl of porridge, then it will be assumed that the coming year would be good.
EN: Wild hyenas are fed porridge from metal dish at Aboker shrine during the Wirshato festival. If the hyenas refused to eat or if they ate all the porridge served to them, according to the tradition, either famine or disease would occur.
EN: After the ceremoney of hyena feeding at Aw Aboker shrine, the leader of the shrine and other community members take part in the feast. After that, the people who gather in the shrine spend the whole night praying.
