Buhe 2027: August 19

What is Buhe?

Buhe (ቡሄ) is the Ethiopian name for the feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor, called Debre Tabor (ደብረ ታቦር) by the church. It falls on Nehase 13 in the Ethiopian calendar, which is August 19 in most years. Buhe is one of the most loved feasts for children, and it signals that the rainy season is nearing its end.

Hoya hoye: the songs

In the days before Buhe, groups of boys go from house to house singing the famous Hoya hoye songs and cracking long whips (jiraf), which echo across the neighbourhood. Households reward them with mulmul, a special round bread baked for the feast, or with a little money.

Torches and bread

On the eve of the feast, people light small torches made of bundled sticks, called chibo, recalling the light that shone around Christ on the mountain. Families bake mulmul bread and share it with neighbours and with the children who come singing.

Why “Buhe”?

Popular explanations link the name to the Amharic word for “bald” or “bare”, describing the clearing skies and the light that returns as the heavy rains of the season begin to break, just as the light appeared on Mount Tabor.

Buhe and Filseta

Buhe falls during Tsome Filseta, the two-week fast before the Assumption of Mary (Nehase 16). See the fasting calendar for this year’s dates.