What's on in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia through the year

Peak crowds — Genna, Timkat on Lake Tana

• Festival

  Genna

  6–8 JanChristmas & New YearCrowded

  Ethiopian Christmas on 7 January, kept with an overnight service and the first meat after the Advent fast. The lake boats and the monastery guides mostly stop for it. Source ↗

• Festival

  Timkat on Lake Tana

  18–20 JanReligious feastCrowdedBook early

  The tabots are carried down to the lakeshore on the eve of the 19th and the blessing of the water happens at first light. Bahir Dar draws the regional crowd rather than the tour groups that fill Gondar, and beds still go weeks ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Tsome Nebiyat, the Advent fast (24 Nov – 6 Jan), Blue Nile Falls at low water (1 Dec – 31 May (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Rule

  Abiy Tsom, the Great Lent

  16 Feb – 11 Apr

  The 55 days before Fasika, when Orthodox Christians give up meat, dairy and eggs. Local restaurants lean on shiro, lentils and injera with vegetables, and meat dishes are harder to find outside hotels. Source ↗

Still on: Blue Nile Falls at low water (1 Dec – 31 May (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Abiy Tsom, the Great Lent (16 Feb – 11 Apr), Blue Nile Falls at low water (1 Dec – 31 May (usually))

Busy — Fasika, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Fasika

  5 Apr – 5 May · usuallyEaster & Holy WeekCrowded

  Orthodox Easter ends fifty-five days of fasting with a midnight service and a long lunch the next day. It follows the Orthodox reckoning, so it usually lands a week or more after the Western date. Source ↗

Still on: Abiy Tsom, the Great Lent (16 Feb – 11 Apr), Blue Nile Falls at low water (1 Dec – 31 May (usually))

Busy — Fasika, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Abiy Tsom, the Great Lent (16 Feb – 11 Apr), Fasika (5 Apr – 5 May (usually)), Blue Nile Falls at low water (1 Dec – 31 May (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Nature

  Blue Nile Falls in full flow

  15 Jul – 15 Oct · usuallyHigh water

  The hydro station upstream takes most of the water for the rest of the year, so Tis Abay is only the wall of spray in the postcards while the rains are running and for a few weeks after. Outside that it is four thin streams. Source ↗

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Blue Nile Falls in full flow (15 Jul – 15 Oct (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Festival

  Meskel

  26–28 SepLights & fire

  A demera bonfire is stacked and lit on the eve of 27 September, and the direction the pole falls is read for the year ahead. It marks the end of the rains, which is exactly when the roads start to firm up again. Source ↗

Still on: Blue Nile Falls in full flow (15 Jul – 15 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Blue Nile Falls in full flow (15 Jul – 15 Oct (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

• Rule

  Tsome Nebiyat, the Advent fast

  24 Nov – 6 Jan

  The fast of the prophets runs from late November to Christmas Eve on 6 January; the devout skip all animal products, so fasting plates dominate menus until the Genna feast breaks it. Source ↗

Busy — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

• Nature

  Blue Nile Falls at low water

  1 Dec – 31 May · usuallyHigh water

  Since the hydropower station opened, most of the dry-season flow is diverted before the falls, which shrink to a few thin strands. The 30 km trip out from town is hard to justify until the rains return. Source ↗

Still on: Tsome Nebiyat, the Advent fast (24 Nov – 6 Jan)