Genna: Ethiopian Christmas
Genna is
Ethiopian Christmas, and coincides with other Orthodox Christmas celebrations
around the world. The feast marks the end of the 40-day fasting period of
Advent. On Christmas Eve, the faithful participate in church services
through the night before celebrating with family and friends on Christmas day.
CHRISTMAS IN LALIBELA
Lalibela is the jewel in the crown of Ethiopia, the
home of the most famous churches and the scene of so many major religious
ceremonies. Also known, as 'Africa's Petra', Lalibela and its rock-hewn
Churches are arguably Ethiopia's top most attractions. Visit the rock-hewn
Churches. These Churches include BeteMedhaneAlem, Bete Mariam, BeteMeskal,
BeteDanaghel, Bete Golgotha &Bete Mikael, and BeteGiorgis.
Afternoon, you will visit the rest of the rock hewn
churches of Lalibela i.e. BeteAmanuel, BeteMarkorios, Bete Aba Libanos, and
BeteGebriel-Rufael. In the evening, you will attend the Christmas Eve ceremony
with the pilgrims to be held at Bete Mariam church. The chanting by the
“deacons” and the priests continue throughout the night and around while the
pilgrims clap and ululate to the drum beat. At mid-night, there will be a
candle light ceremony to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Timkat – Ethiopian Epiphany
Thousands of people - dressed as a sea of white,
priests and deacons, bearing golden-rimmed silk robes and umbrellas, performing
religious dances and songs accompanied by a slowly building tempo of
traditional church drums, leading the crowd in an immensely moving procession:
All of which happen on Epiphany Day (Timkat) in Ethiopia.
Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox equivalent to
Epiphany, is celebrated at churches throughout the country on January 19. The
best place to be during Timkat is Gondar, where the festivities culminate in a
crowded and colourful afternoon re-enactment of the first baptism at the 17th
century Fasil’s Pool, which is filled with water for the occasion.
TIMKAT IN GONDAR - EVE OF TIMKET/ KETERA
In the afternoon, you will attend the Timket eve
ceremony called, Ketera. During Ketera, the priests take out the Tabots-
replicas of the original Ark of the Covenant, from each church. After the
ceremonies you will drive to the hotel.
ATTEND TIMKAT FESTIVAL (EPIPHANY)
This day you will have a chance to attend the
Timket Festival. This involves a colorful procession of priests and followers
singing and dancing. They carry the Tabots (replicas of the Holy Ark of the
Covenant that sanctifies and sits on the altar of every Ethiopia Orthodox
Churches inside the Holy of Holies) from their sanctuaries overnight.
Celebrated on Epiphany January 19- Timkat is the most popular national holiday
among Ethiopian Christians.
Hosanna - Palm Sunday
The Sunday before Easter is the Feast
of Hosanna or known as Palm Sunday. It commemorates the triumphal
entry of Jesus Christ with his disciples into Jerusalem. People welcomed
Jesus by spreading palm branches. Axum has a colorful procession
for Hosanna which is worth a visit.
Axum has a colorful procession for Palm Sunday
(known as Hosanna), the week before Fasika which is well worth a
visit. Like most holidays, the celebration takes place the night before
the actually holiday (Saturday night).
Fasika: Ethiopian Easter
Fasika is Ethiopian Easter and is celebrated in conjunction with Orthodox Easter celebrations around the world. Fasika is the most important holiday in the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar and follows a long 55-day fast, where no meat or dairy products are consumed. Strict followers generally consume one meal of vegetables and lentils during this time. Church services are attended on the eve before the holiday, where revelers participate in a colorful service lit with candles. The following day, families and friends celebrate Fasika with special feasts that mark the end of the long fast.
Ashenda or Shadey is a festival celebrated starting from August 23rd in the Ethiopian regions of Tigray and Northern Amhara. Ashenda marks the end of a two-week-long fast called “Tsome Fisleta” when adherents of Orthodox Christianity gather to honour the Virgin Mary. The name of the festival Ashenda comes from the name of tall grass that the girls make into a skirt and wear it around their waist as a decoration. The young women and girls dress the best traditional dresses called “Tilf” which is a cotton dress decorated with amazing embroidery from the neck to toe in front of the dress. The girls also adorn themselves with a wide array of beautiful jewellery.
This holiday has both religious and cultural
importance. The girls and women of Northern Ethiopia await for this moment
eagerly every year as it is a festival that young ladies enjoy music and dance
Meskal: Finding of the True Cross
Now registered with UNESCO as an element of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity, Meskel (27 September) commemorates the alleged 4th
century discovery of the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified.
The centerpiece of this uniquely Ethiopian festival is the burning of a
massive conical pyre called a Damera. The largest ceremony takes place in Addis
Ababa’s Meskel Square, where hundreds of thousands of people gather to watch
the colorfully dressed priests chant, pray and dance. The most historically
poignant site to witness Meskel is Aksum’s Cathedral of Maryam Tsion.
MESKAL IN ADDIS ABABA
Half day sightseeing and attend Meskel celebration
in Addis.
On this day morning you will visit the National
Museum that houses interesting archeological featuring which includes “Lucy”,
the 3.2-million-year-old hominid skeleton considered the missing link in the
evolutionary study of mankind and St. Gorge church at Paisa. In the afternoon
you will attend the Meskel celebration at Meskel square.
HidarTsion
From around 200 BC to 700 AD, Axum was the seat of
an Empire which extended across the Red Sea to Arabia, traded with India and
China, had its own alphabet and constructed great engineering works. In
the 4th century Axum was considered to be one of the four great powers of the
ancient world. The Mariam Tsion church in Axum is said to house of the Ark
of the Covenant. The ceremony at Mariam Tsion sees pilgrims from all
over the country come to express thanks after the fulfillment of a wish, or in
the hope of miraculous cure.
Great Ethiopian Run
Peter Middlebrook and Abi Masefield in late October
2000, following Haile's return from the 2000 Summer Olympics.Middlebrook
established the proposal which Masefield presented to Brendan Foster,
originator of the Great Run series at the advice of her mother and close
friend, Andrea Wonfor. Richard Nerurkar arrived in March 2001 when the idea was
first shared with former British Ambassador to Ethiopia Myles Wickstead, who
subsequently championed the race. The 10,000 entries for the first edition
quickly sold out and other people unofficially joined in the race without a
number. The creation of the race marked the first time that a major annual 10
km race had been held in the country, renowned for producing world class runners.
The day's events include an international and popular 10 km race and a 5 km
women only race.