Meskel, Timkat, Genna, Fasika, Irreecha and Ashenda: how are these holidays dated, and how does your family mark them?

Many Ethiopian holidays follow the Ethiopian calendar, so their Gregorian dates are steady, while Fasika and the Muslim holidays move. Fixed (in 2026) - Genna (Christmas): 7 January. - Timkat (Epiphany, baptism of Jesus): 19 January. UNESCO inscribed Timkat in December 2019. - Enkutatash: 11 September. - Meskel (Finding of the True Cross): 27 September. The Meskel celebration in Addis (Demera) was inscribed by UNESCO in December 2013. Moving - Fasika (Orthodox Easter) follows the church calculation. It was on 12 April in 2026. - Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow the lunar calendar and are set by moon sighting. 2026 dates listed online were tentative (20 March and 27 May), so check official announcements. Regional - Irreecha is the Oromo thanksgiving at the end of the rainy season, marked in late September or early October. In 2024 the Addis event was on 5 October and the Bishoftu event on 6 October. - Ashenda is a festival of women and girls in August after the 15-day Filseta fast, rooted in Tigray and celebrated in Amhara (where it is sometimes called Shadey). Girls wear embroidered white dresses and weave Ashenda grass into their skirts. Your turn: which holiday matters most to your family, what do you cook or wear, and where in Ethiopia have you seen the best celebration?