TIGRAI BEAUTY

The hair style of the Tigraian women, shows the beauty and skill of the people of Tigrai. A tigraian young woman A Tigraian woman What is beauty if it is not in tigrai?

CULTURE OF THE PEOPLE OF TIGRAI

ASHENDA

Ashenda is a unique Tigraian traditional festival which takes place in August to mark the ending of fasting called filseta. This event is mostly for girls and young women, which they await very eagerly every year. It is unique to the people in the state of Tigrai which is in northern Ethiopia. The name of the festival "Ashenda" comes from the name of a tall grass that the girls make in to a skirt and ware it around their waist as a decoration.

Ashenda is a unique Tigraian traditional festival The young women and girls dress the best traditional dresses called tilfi which is a cotton dress decorated with amazing embroidery from the neck to toe in front of the dress. The girls also adorned them selves with array of beautiful jewelry.

After they gather in the village or city center they divide in to small groups and they go house to house singing and playing 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 and 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.

A week or so after the celebrations started, the event comes to an end with all the girls from the village or the town coming together in the center of the town or a village singing and dancing until sun down. This time the young boys join in more like spectators than active players.

Double click to play the Ashenda videos below

Check out the Geez Fidel

CUSTOMS

Tigraian coffee ceremony
Coffee is a very important ceremonial drink in Tigrai. The coffee ceremony is common through out the state and most of Ethiopia. Fresh beans are roasted; while they are hot and smoking they are passed around by the coffee maker usually a girl for blessing. The roasted beans are ground and served in very small richly decorated ceramic cups. The coffee is served in three rounds. The first round is called Awell, the second Bereka and the third Dereja. It is customary to show you appreciation by telling the person who is making and serving the coffee how good the coffee is.

Tigraian mesob
Mesob, a Tigraian cultural eating basket is not only practical to use daily but also it is a stanning beautiful art form.

Tihlo Eastern Tigrai fine food
Tihlo, Eastern Tigraian fine food

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