Ethiopia National Day

Ethiopia National Day

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  1. 1896Victory at Adwa protects Ethiopian independence
  2. 1991Derg regime falls as rebel forces enter Addis Ababa
  3. 1995Federal constitution establishes the current republic

The story behind the day

28 May marks the fall of the Derg regime in 1991, when rebel forces entered Addis Ababa and ended years of military dictatorship. Ethiopia has older patriotic dates, especially the victory at Adwa, but 28 May is tied to the current federal political order.

The day became a state national day because it opened the transition toward the Federal Democratic Republic and the 1995 constitution. It remains politically sensitive, because Ethiopians remember the Derg, civil war and the later federal system in different ways.

Official observance usually includes speeches, wreath-laying, flags and state media programming. For visitors, Ethiopia's national story is also visible beyond the date: imperial monuments, Orthodox churches, coffee culture, regional dress, music and the memory of Adwa.

Across Ethiopia, national identity is layered rather than simple. Amhara, Oromo, Tigrayan, Somali, Afar and many other communities bring their own languages, foods and holidays, so any national day sits within a wider mosaic.

  1. 202628 May 2026 · Thursday
  2. 202728 May 2027 · Friday
  3. 202828 May 2028 · Sunday
The Ethiopian flag
Ethiopia flag

The Ethiopian flag has green, yellow and red horizontal bands with a blue disc and yellow star emblem. The colours became the model for many Pan-African flags: green often represents land, yellow peace or hope, and red sacrifice. The star symbolises unity among Ethiopia's peoples.

Ethiopian food is one of Africa's great cuisines: injera, berbere, lentils, stews and coffee create a shared table built for groups rather than individual plates.

What to eat

Doro watSlow-simmered Ethiopian chicken and egg stew in berbere spice sauce — served on injera on every Ethiopian celebration occasion.
InjeraGround chickpea and lentil stew without meat — the essential fasting dish of Ethiopia's Orthodox Christian population.
ShiroSpiced raw beef seasoned with berbere and butter — a bold Ethiopian special-occasion dish requiring the freshest meat.
TibsChopped raw beef tartare mixed with butter, mitmita spice and mustard — Ethiopia's most prized raw meat dish.
KitfoBroad bean fasting dish cooked with onion and spices — a staple protein on Orthodox fasting days.
BeyaynetuWarm spiced honey wine — the traditional Ethiopian celebratory drink with a 3000-year history.

What to drink

CoffeeEthiopia's national spiced honey wine — drunk from a berele flask at celebrations, weddings and coffee ceremonies.
TejEthiopian coffee ceremony with three rounds — the world's original coffee culture, performed with incense, popcorn and small cups.
TellaFermented barley or teff beer — a lightly sour daily drink brewed in homes across highland Ethiopia.
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Ethiopia culture

Ethiopia is Africa's only nation never colonised by a European power — home to the oldest Christian church, the Ark of the Covenant tradition, and Lucy, one of humanity's oldest ancestors.

Adwa memoryTimkat Orthodox Epiphany festival — the most spectacular religious celebration in Africa, with priests carrying the Ark replica through the streets.
Rock-hewn churches of LalibelaEleven 12th-century churches carved from solid red rock — a UNESCO site and the Jerusalem of Africa.
Lalibela churchesEthiopians hold the distance running world — Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele and Tigist Assefa have broken every major marathon and track record.
Addis Ababa ceremoniesEthiopia's ancient Ge'ez writing system — one of the world's few surviving indigenous African scripts, still used in Orthodox liturgy.