00:01Toning colourful festive dresses with their hair braided, young Tigrinya girls sang and danced in Addis Ababa to celebrate Ashenda,
00:10a holiday marking the end of a 15-day fast known as Filseta.
00:15This year's holiday comes as fears of a new conflict in the region grow.
00:22When it comes to my families, it's at the hands of God. I pray He makes it peaceful.
00:28Our people are living in sadness and in a bad situation.
00:34In Tigrin, the situation is bad. It is war. It is a very bad situation.
00:40We pray that things get better and return to normal. We wish for our country to be peaceful.
00:48Federal and Tigrayan forces have marched on either side of the northern state's border in recent months, with minor squamishes
00:56reported in some areas.
01:00Because of the current condition, everyone is eager to celebrate it back home.
01:05However, it wasn't convenient for us because of work and the current situation.
01:09I was planning to go there to celebrate it, but God willing, I will celebrate there next year.
01:15In the Tigrinya language, Ashenda is a type of tall green grass found on river banks in the region.
01:22Its roots lie in Tigray, but it is also celebrated in the neighboring Amhara region.
01:27It is time to go there, but it is time to go there.
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