Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
“The Fragrance of Fire and Flowers: A Journey into Raya’s Sacred Steam Ritual”
By Yemane Gedilu
In the sun-kissed highlands of southern Tigrai—across the whispering fields of Wojetat and the heartland of Raya—a quiet ritual unfolds among the women of the land. Before the break of dawn, as the mist still hugs the valleys, mothers, daughters, and grandmothers prepare for a centuries-old tradition that speaks of healing, beauty, and inner balance—the revered art of Tush, a sacred herbal steam bath.
This isn’t just a bath. It’s a ceremony of fire, herbs, and silence. Women seat themselves over handcrafted stools with perforated tops, their bodies cloaked in thick cloths stitched with care and culture. Beneath them, a pot simmers with wild-harvested botanicals—weyba, awli’e, and other ancestral herbs—sending up tendrils of aromatic steam that curl like ancient prayers into their skin and spirit.
Tush is both medicine and meditation. The steam penetrates deep into the body, said to relieve headaches, congestion, menstrual pain, uterine cleansing, cramps, and minor infections. It opens pores, soothes muscles, and draws toxins out with the sweat—leaving a woman not only clean but centered.
In Raya, they say:
“Tush makes a woman shine—not only on the outside but within.”
For one quiet hour, the world stands still. The hut fills with mist. The breath becomes slow. The body remembers.
But not all can partake. Those with heart conditions, diabetes, or high blood pressure are gently advised to avoid the ritual, as the intense heat can strain rather than soothe.
Still, for many women, this isn’t just wellness—it’s identity, femininity, and generational memory wrapped in the rising smoke of sacred leaves. In these villages, beauty is not bought—it is breathed, boiled, and believed.
RELAX. RENEW. REFRESH.
Traditional steam makes a woman whole again.
Yemane Gedlu Gezahegn is a Tourism expert who workes Tigrai Culture and Tourism Bureau.
