@addisstandardeng · Post #21724 · 03/15/2026, 10:21 AM
#Sidama nation celebrates Fichee-Chambalaalla New Year with colorful festivities in #Hawassa Addis Abeba – The Sidama nation celebrated Fichee-Chambalaalla, its traditional New Year festival, with vibrant festivities in Hawassa, the capital of the Sidama Regional State, on 14 and 15 March 2026. The two-day celebration, which is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, drew hundreds of thousands of participants, including community leaders, members of different national groups, and senior officials, to the shores of Lake Hawassa. Festivities were marked by the traditional Gudumale ceremony, during which elders offered blessings and performed cultural songs, as well as the iconic Chambalaalla feast, symbolizing the transition from the old year to the new with hopes for peace and communal harmony. Ayiidde Cambalaalla from team Addis Standard. https://www.facebook.com/share/18B2S3dsvH/?mibextid=wwXIfr