Mekelle, August 22, 2025 (Tigray Mass Media Agency) Ashenda is a traditional and cultural festival celebrated joyfully by young women and girls across Tigray, bringing communities together in celebrations of tradition, peace, and resilience. The three-day festival, which begins every August 22, is being celebrated this year under the theme “Ashenda: the Foundation for Peace, Unity, and Hope of Tigray.”
While the core traditions and celebrations of Ashenda are shared throughout Tigray, the festival is known by different names in various locations. In Abi Adi, central Tigray, it is called ‘Ashenda Awres’; in Adigrat and surrounding eastern areas, it is celebrated as ‘Marya’; and in Aksum, central Tigray, it will be celebrated on August 30 as ‘Ayni Wari’.
The festival is marked by vibrant cultural songs, dances, colorful traditional attire, jewelry, and other ornaments. It is particularly notable for the central role of girls and young women, who lead the festivities with energy and grace. Beyond its joyful expression, Ashenda serves as a symbol of resilience, women’s empowerment, social cohesion, and hope for lasting peace in Tigray.
However, not all communities are able to celebrate the festival in their ancestral homes. Many internally displaced persons and refugees in Sudan, still unable to return, are celebrating Ashenda in temporary shelters and camps. Even in displacement, girls and young women continue to sing, dance, and uphold the tradition, keeping the spirit of Ashenda alive while longing for the day they can celebrate once more in their villages and towns.
