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Oromo Calendar

Time is a very important concept in Gadaa and therefore in Oromo life. Gadaa itself can be narrowly defined as a given set of time (period) in which groups of individuals perform specific duties in a society. Gadaa could also mean age. The lives of individuals, rituals, ceremonies and political and economic activities are scheduled rather precisely. For this purpose, the Oromo have a calendar. The calendar is also used for weather forecasting and divination purposes.

The Oromo calendar is based on astronomical observations of the moon in conjunction with seven or eight particular stars or star groups (Legesse, 1973 and Bassi, 1988) called Urji Dhaha (guiding stars). According to this calendar system, there are approximately 30 days in a month and 12 months in a year. The first day of a month is the day the new moon appears. A day (24 hours) starts and ends at sunrise.

In the Oromo calendar, each day of the month and each month of the year has a name. Instead of the expected 29 or 30 names for days of a month, there are only 27 names. These 27 days of the month are permutated through the twelve months, in such a way that the beginning of each month moves forward by 2 or 3 days. The loss per month is then the difference between the 27-day month and the 30-day month, (Legesse, 1973). One interesting observation is that, as illustrated in the computing of time like in the Oromo calendar, Oromo’s visualization of events is cyclical just as many events in nature are cyclical.

Since each day (called ayyaana) of a month has a name, the Oromo traditionally had no use for names of the days of a week. Perhaps it is because of this that today in different parts of Oromia different names are in use for the days of a week.

Each of the 27 days (ayyaana) of the month has special meaning and connotation to the Oromo time-keeping experts, called ayyaantu. Ayyaantu can tell the day, the month, the year, and the Gadaa period by keeping track of time astronomically. They are experts, in astronomy and supplement their memory of things by examining the relative position of eight stars or star groups, (Bassi, 1988) and the moon to determine the day (ayyaana) and the month. On the basis of astronomical observations, they make an adjustment in the day name every two or three months.

The pillars found a few years ago in north-western Kenya by Lynch and Robbins (1978) have been suggested to represent a site used to develop the Oromo calendar system. According to these researchers, it is the first archaeon-astronomical evidence in sub-Saharan Africa. Doyle (1986) has suggested 300 B.C. as the approximate date of its invention.

According to Asmarom Legesse (1973), “The Oromo calendar is a great and unique invention and has been recorded only in a very few cultures in the history of mankind.” The only other known cultures with this type of time-keeping are the Chinese, Mayans, and Hindus. Legesse states that the Oromo are unusual in that they seem to be the only people with a reasonably accurate calendar that ignore the sun. Professor Asmarom Legesse did an extensive study of the Gadaa System (An Oromo whole way of life) over the past 50 years and wrote a book. His second edition of the book will be coming out soon. He gave an interview back in April 2019 saying “. Gadaa is a whole way of life, a philosophy of life, it’s an organization built on the human life course from childhood until old age, you have a place in Gadaa.

You progress from one 8-year period to the next, methodically and in each stage, you have certain responsibilities associated with that stage. You become a herder at one stage, then you have your first initiation around adolescence. The first initiation is very important, it lasts for 4 years. They’re inducted into office, elected their leaders, they elect their leaders who are going to come to power 21 years later in advance while they’re in that position, they’re heads of their own generation so they learn to govern but they’re being vetted, they’re being checked out during that period to see if they’re WORTHY OF THE OFFICE. If you qualify after 21 years, then you manage to become Abba Gadaa and head of the institution for a period of 8 years.”

This goes to show Oromo people were civilized way before Ethiopia existed and we have our own way of managing our home, neighborhood, education, Healthcare, governing, etc. So, an Oromo calendar is a calendrical system developed by the Borana Oromo. The Borana calendar consists of 29.5 days & 12 months for a total of 354 days in a year. The calendar has no weeks but has names for each day of the month.

Namoratunga archaeoastronomical site in northern Kenya near Borana land, stone pillars pointing to the position of stars used in the Borana calendar were found. The stone pillars are believed to date as far back as 300 b.c.

A lunar-stellar calendar, the Borana Oromo calendar relies on astronomical observations of the moon in conjunction with seven particular stars.

Borana months (stars/lunar phases) are:

Bittoottessa(triangulum), Caamsa (pleiades), Buta(aldedaran), Waxabajjii(bellatrix), Oborra gudda (central-orion – saiph), Oborra xiiqqa (Sirius), Birra (full moon), Ciqaawwa (gibous moon), Sadasaa (quarter moon), Abraasa (large crescent), Gurraan dhala (small crescent).

The days are:

1. Bita qaraa. 4. Soonsa
2. Girdaduma. 5. Soorsa
3. Bita lamaa. 6.Rurruma.
4. Algajima. 10. Gidaada
5. Lumasa. 11. Walla
6. Arb. 12. Ruda.
7. Basa dura
8. Areeri dura
9. Basa ball’oo
10. Areeri bal’oo
11. Carra.
12. Aduula dura
13. Maganatti jarra.
14. Aduula bal’oo
15. Maganatti birritti.
16. Garba dura
17. Salbaan dura
18. Garba bal’oo
19. Salbaan bal’oo
20. Garba dullacha.
21. Salbaan dullacha.
    

    By, Oromia-Country/Oromo nation

Slide handouts of lecture 5 and 6 (Opioids 2-1-2023) Practice questions for lecture 1-8 (with key)