Ono Academic College wishes you a Happy Sigd Holiday!
This year, from sunset on November 3rd to sunset on November 45h, we celebrate the Ethiopian-Jewish Holiday of Sigd.
The Sigd holiday is celebrated annually, exactly fifty days after Yom Kippur, on the 29th day of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan. Sigd is a fast day, accompanied by purification and renewal. At the center of the holiday is the renewal of the covenant between the children of Israel and God. The holiday is marked with readings from the holy Ethiopian Jewish text, the Mäṣḥafä Kedus, blessings, and prayers for redemption. The ceremony is held on the peak of a tall mountain, symbolically standing in for Mount Sinai, where the Torah was originally given to the children of Israel. The service is administered by the priests (Keisim) of the community.
The traditional Amharic language Sigd greetings is Melkam Sigd Bahal. So, “Happy Sigd – መልካም የስግድ በዓል!”
