Ge'ez CalendarWhat is Adwa Victory Day?
Adwa Victory Day (የዓድዋ ድል በዓል) commemorates the Battle of Adwa, fought on 1 March 1896 near the town of Adwa in northern Ethiopia. The army of Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu Betul decisively defeated an invading Italian army. The victory secured Ethiopia’s independence at a time when almost all of Africa was being colonised, and it is a national public holiday in Ethiopia.
Why it matters
Adwa was the first time an African army defeated a modern European colonial army in a major battle. Italy was forced to recognise Ethiopian sovereignty in the Treaty of Addis Ababa later that year. Adwa became a symbol of African independence and dignity: it inspired anti-colonial movements across the continent and the diaspora, and the green, yellow and red of the Ethiopian flag were adopted by many African nations.
Why March 2 and not March 1?
The battle took place on Yekatit 23, 1888 in the Ethiopian calendar, which was 1 March 1896. Ethiopia celebrates it on Yekatit 23. In 1900 the Gregorian calendar skipped a leap day that the Ethiopian calendar did not, so since then Yekatit 23 has fallen on March 2 in most years. (You can check both dates in the converter.)
How it is celebrated
- In Addis Ababa, crowds gather at Menelik II Square in Piassa, many dressed in period costume as warriors of 1896, with patriotic songs and poems.
- Every year, people walk hundreds of kilometres to Adwa itself to mark the anniversary at the battlefield.
- Schools, media and community groups in the diaspora hold talks, concerts and cultural events.
Related days
Ethiopia also remembers the end of the Italian occupation of 1936–41 on Patriots’ Victory Day (Miazia 27, early May).