Ashenda Festival in Ethiopia
Ashenda is Amhara and Tigray peoples traditional festival which takes place in August 22. The name of the festival “Ashenda” comes from the name of a “tall grass” that the girls make in to a skirt and wear it around their waist during the holiday.
Every year Ethiopian young girls eagerly awaits for the great day that dawns ‘Ashenda’-a colorful festival. They wear traditional close called tilf which is a cotton dress decorated with amazing embroidery. The girls also adorned themselves with array of beautiful jewelry and have different hairstyles based on their ages.
After they gather in the village or city center they divide in to small groups and they go house to house singing and playing with their drums. They stop at ever house and sing and dance for the people in the houses. It is customary for people to give them money, food, drinks and other items for their efforts. They continue the whole day going from house to house and occasionally stopping in a village or city center and singing and dancing for a while before they go on again on their tour.
The girls euphoric on this day because it is the day they are allowed a green light to go out to the street singing and dancing with friends and peers for a week. They chant songs and show their groovy styles to their hearts content attired with eye catching costumes. This as well is not their ultimate goal. Rather they dream beyond the game, which facilitates good interactions with their peers. As they go out at their best they lure the opposite sex, with peeled eyes who are alert to choose their best. In most cases the girls win suitors.
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