Aholalo

Aholalo (Amharic: ኣሆላሎ) is a festival celebrated in the Amhara region of Northern Ethiopia. The festival originates from, and is celebrated in the Wollo (Amharic: ወሎ, formerly known as “Bete-Amhara,” [Amharic: ቤተ አማራ, Ge'ez: ቤተ ዐምሐራ, translation: “House of Amhara”]) province of Eastern Amhara.

Aholalo was originally a tradition Welloyes (people of the Wollo province) practised in which a male may throw a lime at a woman he is attracted to. If the woman keeps the lime, that means she reciprocates the attraction; if she throws the lime back, that means she is not interested. Additionally, if another male throws a lime at her and she keeps it, the two (or more) men must engage in a civilized wrestling match. There are many more traditions practised during this time, but the matchmaking is at the heart of it all. These traditions evolved into a larger festival, particularly famous in the city Hayk (Amharic: ሐይቅ), South Wollo. Maritu Legesse and Hanan Abdu were also made the cultural ambassadors of Wollo.

Many more than simply the following traditions are observed during the Aholalo festival, but these are among the most central elements.