Ashenda is a celebration of women and girls held annually in Tigray. It is estimated by experts to have started around 400 AD and is thought to have originated in the Axum region of Ethiopia’s Tigray Region. August is the festival’s main month of celebration, with adoption in Tigray’s neighboring provinces. Tigrayan ladies who are now settled abroad attempt to visit Mekelle or the village where the Ashenda festival is held. The celebration is exclusive to women, with men mostly serving as gift givers and, occasionally, as shields against potential harassment as the younger girls go door to door singing Ashenda songs and accepting presents such as cash and specially prepared food for the occasion. Following the two is the festival. Young ladies and girls dress in white cotton dresses for the celebration. These garments have vibrant tilfi embroidery. They had a lot of jewelry on as well. They wear the bundle of ashenda grass, which they weave into a skirt or wear on their backs. In Tigrinya, ashenda refers to the tall green grass that grows along riverbanks. Girls’ hair is frequently styled in five cornrows. They apply eyeliner by Kohl. The girls meet in the center of the village or town on the first day. They then divide up into groups and stroll around the village. They perform dances and songs for the residents of each home as well as in the town square. Each household gives them gifts in the form of cash, food, beverages, or other items.
