10/12/2025
𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐚𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐎’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭
Gifaataa, the New Year festival of the Wolaita people, has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, currently taking place in New Delhi, India.
During the session, Minister of Tourism, Selamawit Kassa, delivered a statement highlighting the importance of preserving and promoting this valued heritage.
Passed down through generations, Gifaataa marks the transition from the old year to the new and holds deep cultural significance for the Wolaita community.