22/08/2026
Ashendye in Lalibela: A Celebration of Girls, Culture and Living Heritage
Lalibela, Ethiopia — August 22, 2026
This morning, the streets of Lalibela came alive with the colour, music, dance and joyful spirit of Ashendye (አሸንድዬ)—one of the most beautiful and distinctive cultural traditions of Lasta and northern Ethiopia.
As I walked through the town and captured these moments on pictures, I was reminded that Lalibela is not only a place of extraordinary churches carved out of living rock. It is also a place where ancient traditions continue to live through its people, particularly through its young girls and women.
Ashendye is traditionally celebrated at the end of the Filseta fasting period, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo tradition. The celebration combines religious devotion with a vibrant expression of culture, identity, friendship, freedom and joy.
The name Ashendye is associated with the tall green grass traditionally worn by the girls around their waists. Beautifully dressed in traditional clothes and adorned with jewellery and carefully prepared hairstyles, groups of girls gather together to sing, dance and celebrate. Their songs and dances transform the streets and open spaces of Lalibela into a colourful stage of living heritage.
What makes the celebration particularly special is the spirit of togetherness it creates. Girls and young women celebrate together, visit homes, sing traditional songs and receive gifts from families and community members. It is a time when generations come together and cultural knowledge is passed from parents and grandparents to the younger generation.
But Ashendye is more than a colourful festival.
It is a celebration of girlhood, womanhood, sisterhood, cultural identity and community. It gives young women a special space to express themselves with confidence and joy while keeping alive traditions that have been handed down through generations.
Here in Lalibela, the experience is even more remarkable because this living tradition unfolds in one of Ethiopia's most extraordinary cultural landscapes. The songs, traditional clothing, dancing and laughter of the girls become part of the atmosphere of a town already renowned throughout the world for its rock-hewn churches.
The footage I captured this morning is therefore more than simply a record of a festival. It is a glimpse into a living culture. It captures a moment when the younger generation of Lalibela carries forward the traditions of those who came before them.
At a time when many traditional practices around the world are gradually disappearing or changing, celebrations such as Ashendye remind us of the importance of protecting and passing on our intangible cultural heritage.
Lalibela's Ashendye is not merely something to watch—it is something to feel, to celebrate and to preserve.
May the songs, dances, colours and traditions of Ashendye continue to fill the streets of Lalibela for generations to come.
Zagwe Hotel wishes a 'Happy Ashendye' to all the girls and women of Lasta, Lalibela and beyond!
The pictures accompanying this article was taken in Lalibela this morning, August 22, 2026, during this year's vibrant Ashendye celebration.
