Ethiopia has achieved another remarkable cultural milestone as Gifaataa, the New Year festival of the Wolaita people, has officially been added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The announcement came during the recent session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held this week in India. With this addition of Gifaataa, Ethiopia now holds an impressive collection of 12 UNESCO-inscribed tangible heritage sites and 5 intangible cultural elements, making it the country with the highest number of UNESCO-registered heritage sites in Africa.

Gifaataa is celebrated annually between mid-September and early October and marks the beginning of the Wolaita New Year. The days leading up to the festival are filled with preparation and renewal. Families thoroughly clean their homes, resolve disagreements, and travel back to their villages so they can celebrate together. This period embodies values of peace, harmony, forgiveness, and community reconnection, reflecting why the festival is included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List.

The main day of Gifaataa is centered around family gatherings. Loved ones come together to enjoy traditional dishes, including freshly prepared raw meat and locally brewed drinks. Elders play a central role during this celebration, offering blessings for prosperity, advising on farming practices, and helping maintain social unity through conflict resolution. As evening approaches, communities gather around bright bonfires, creating an atmosphere filled with traditional songs, rhythmic dances, and powerful cultural expressions that link generations. Gifaataa’s inclusion in the UNESCO List emphasizes its cultural significance.

One of the most striking aspects of Gifaataa is how it highlights the interdependence of gender and age roles. Girls collaborate with their mothers in the preparation of food, brewing of traditional drinks, and decorating of homes, while boys support their fathers by gathering firewood, repairing houses, and assisting with bonfire preparations. Elders continue to guide the celebration with wisdom, fostering mutual respect and encouraging values that strengthen community bonds. This dynamic is part of what makes the Gifaataa festival special and worthy of recognition by UNESCO.

The ten-day festival concludes with goolo-igetta, a grand communal event that brings together the entire community for lively horse riding, music, dancing, and final blessings that welcome the New Year with joy and optimism. According to UNESCO, the knowledge and cultural practices of Gifaataa are passed down from generation to generation within families and are further preserved through schools, cultural centers, and local media. This makes the festival not only a celebration but also a living cultural tradition that reinforces identity, unity, social solidarity, and intergenerational continuity. Gifaataa: the Wolaita New Year Festival, now added to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List, also serves as an important social moment for young people, offering opportunities to meet new friends and potential marriage partners.

Complete List of Ethiopia’s UNESCO-Registered Heritage Items

Below is the full list of Ethiopia’s tangible and intangible UNESCO heritage entries. You can add your hyperlinks as needed on your site.

Tangible Heritage Sites (12)

1. Aksum
2. Fasil Ghebbi (Gondar)
3. Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town
4. Lalibela Rock-Hewn Churches
5. Lower Valley of the Awash
6. Lower Valley of the Omo
7. Konso Cultural Landscape
8. Tiya Megalithic Site
9. Gedeo Cultural Landscape
10. Bale Mountains National Park
11. Simien Mountains National Park
12. Melka Kunture and Bachilt Rock Shelter

Intangible Cultural Heritage (5 including Gifaataa)

1. Meskel – Finding of the True Cross
2. Timket – Ethiopian Epiphany
3. Gada System – Oromo Indigenous Democratic System
4. Fichee-Chambalaalla – Sidama New Year
5. Gifaataa: Wolaita New Year Festival