Melkam Gena & Timkat!
Nope. I have not lost my mind-it is Christmas time in Ethiopia!
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. Since Ethiopia recognizes the ancient Julian calendar, Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7th, the Feast of the Epiphany, instead of December 25th.
Christmas is a major holiday in Ethiopia, where more than half of the population is Orthodox Christian. It is a day when families attend church. The day before Ganna, people fast all day, and then attend an early morning Mass on January 7th. Around the time of Ganna, the men and boys play a game that is also called ganna. It is somewhat like the game of hockey played here, except it is played with a curved stick and a round wooden ball.
The foods enjoyed during the Christmas season may include doro wat- a thick, spicy stew of chicken and vegetables. The wat is traditionally served from a beautifully decorated watertight basket onto a "plate" of injera (the flat, spongy sourdough bread) which is used to both serve the food and as an edible “spoon” to scoop up the wat.
Twelve days after Ganna, on January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ. Children and adults walk to church services in a procession. The priests wear red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.
The music of Ethiopian instruments makes the Timkat procession a very festive event. A percussion instrument called a sistrum (tinkling metal disks) and a long, T-shaped prayer stick called a makamiya, taps out the walking beat, and also serves as a support for the priest during the long church service that follows. Church officials (called dabtaras) study hard to learn the musical chants, known as melekets, for the ceremony. During Timkat, the Ethiopian men play another game called yeferas guks. During this game, they ride on horseback and throw ceremonial lances at each other.
Unlike Christmas in the United States, Ganna (as well as Timkat) are not occasions for giving gifts in Ethiopia. If an Ethiopian Child receives a gift at all, it is usually a small gift of simple clothing. Religious observances, feasting, and games are the focus of the season.
Hopefully next year we will be celebrating our *usual* Christmas, as well as Ethiopian Christmas. Since we are so early in the Ethiopia adoption process, we did not have an actual celebration this year. I tend to be very careful-not wanting to “jinx” anything. I did the same thing when we waited for Alina Jayne’s referral from China. I learned all about the culture, customs, and traditions, and of course, blogged about them. However, I did not feel comfortable celebrating the holidays until Alina Jayne was home. Yes, Matt thinks I am crazy! I still plan to practice some Ethiopian cooking while we wait.
Another holiday/celebration is fast approaching. Ms. Alina Jayne will be turning 4 on February 1st, and Chinese New Year is on January 26th this year. We will probably celebrate her birthday and CNY at the same time. We’ll post photos then.
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