When Enkutatash gets close, the hills around Addis turn yellow. Those bright flowers are adey abeba (Meskel daisies), and they basically mean New Year is here.
On New Year morning, groups of girls put on nice clothes (or a new habesha kemis if they have one), pick bunches of the flowers, and go door to door singing Abebayehosh. One girl leads, the others answer with “lemlem,” which means lush and green, like September after the rains. Neighbors give them a little money or a piece of defo dabo bread, then the girls sing blessings for the house.
Boys have their own night-before rounds with Hoya Hoye. Same idea: song, visit, small gift.
It is simple and loud and happy. A couple days before Ethiopian New Year 2019 (that is Sep 11 Gregorian in 2026), you already hear the songs in neighborhoods and see flower sellers in the city. Melkam Addis Amet.
Short clip walking through Enkutatash customs, including the Abebayehosh rounds with yellow flowers.
