Ethiopia officially celebrated the entry of the Gifata Festival onto the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity with a massive ceremony at the Wolaita Sodo Stadium. Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa hailed the Wolaita nation's annual New Year festival as a "magnificent treasure," noting its transition from a local highland tradition to a recognized global asset under the nation's heritage preservation framework.
Gifata is an ancient harvest rite celebrated between September and October, involving ten days of reconciliation, ritual cleaning, and the sharing of traditional beer and raw meat. The festival’s successful inscription brings Ethiopia’s total UNESCO-recognized heritages to 18, highlighting the country's status as a "living museum" where ancient ritual calendars continue to define modern communal life.