Christmas has come and gone in the United States. As the new year begins, little remains of the holiday besides a few holiday lights and more than a few extra pounds from all those Christmas cookies. However, in other parts of the world, Christmas is yet to arrive. In some places, Christmas is celebrated on a different day - January 7. Ethiopia is one such country. Celebrating the birth of Christ on a different date is not the only difference between American and Ethiopian Christmases. Many unique and special traditions exist in Ethiopia surrounding Christmas.
Ethiopian Christmas, known locally as Genna, is a deeply significant holiday in Ethiopia, celebrated with reverence, cultural traditions, and community gatherings. This Christian holiday honors the birth of Jesus Christ, and in Ethiopia, it’s observed with a unique blend of religious practices and local customs that set it apart from Christmas celebrations elsewhere. Genna is a time of spiritual reflection and communal joy, marked by fasting, vibrant church services, traditional feasts, and festive games. In Ethiopia, Christmas traditions emphasize togetherness, devotion, and gratitude, creating an atmosphere of warmth and unity among families, friends, and entire communities.
When is Ethiopian Christmas?
Ethiopia (and especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church) celebrates Christmas on January 7th, not December 25th. Unlike December 25th, which is Christmas Day in much of the world, Ethiopians observe Christmas based on the Ethiopian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar. The Ethiopian Calendar has different months - and Christmas in on the 29th of Tahsas. This unique timing makes Genna part of the wider Orthodox Christmas tradition, a day celebrated by many Orthodox Christians around the world, from Russia to Serbia and beyond. Many other orthodox churches around the world also celebrate Christmas on the 7th January. The Ethiopian Christmas always falls on January 7, based on the Ethiopian Christian Orthodox Calendar system. Although there are several calendar systems in Ethiopia, the solar-based calendar system has been adopted as the national calendar.
Celebrating the birth of Christ on a different date is not the only difference between American and Ethiopian Christmases. Many unique and special traditions exist in Ethiopia surrounding Christmas.Celebrating the birth of Christ on a different date is not the only difference between American and Ethiopian Christmases. Many unique and special traditions exist in Ethiopia surrounding Christmas.
The Ethiopian Calendar
While much of the world, including the United States, follows the Gregorian calendar, Ethiopia uses a 365-day calendar based on the Coptic calendar. Ethiopia, along with other Orthodox churches calculate the birth of Christ to be on January 7. Not only do they differ on the day, but they disagree on the year of Christ’s birth. On the Ethiopian calendar, Christ’s birth is seven years later, making it only 2012 in Ethiopia.
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According to the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar system, the world was created in 5500 B.C.E. - see Manuscript #23, a calendar book in the Thomas Kane Manuscript Collection at the African and Middle East Division - and Adam was born 5500 years before the birth of Jesus who, according to the teachings of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, was born on January 7. The Ethiopian year consists of 365 days, divided into twelve months of thirty days each plus one additional month of five days (six in leap years).
Some Ethiopian scholars believe the Ethiopian calendar system was copied from the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. The Library’s African and Middle Eastern Division houses a very important collection of books, manuscripts, newspapers and journals on Ethiopia and Eritrea, that are invaluable resources on the Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity and its calendar system.
Genna: The Meaning of Ethiopian Christmas
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. The Christmas celebration in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is called Ganna or Genna. In Ethiopia, Christmas is called Genna, derived from a term that means “imminent” to symbolize the imminent arrival of Jesus Christ. Unlike the commercialization that often surrounds Christmas celebrations elsewhere, Ethiopian Gena is a deeply spiritual and solemn occasion. Genna carries with it a sense of reverence and simplicity, reflecting the Orthodox Christian belief in the birth of Christ and a deeper commitment to faith.
Preparation for Genna begins 43 days prior with a period of fasting. Many people take part in a special Advent fast during the 43 days before Christmas. It starts on 25th November and is known as the 'Fast of the Prophets' (Tsome Nebiyat). Orthodox Christian women in Ethiopia gather to celebrate the birth of Christ. Celebrating the birth of Christ on a different date is not the only difference between American and Ethiopian Christmases. Many unique and special traditions exist in Ethiopia surrounding Christmas.
The clergy and devout Orthodox Christians spend these 43 days, known as the Feast of the Prophets, preparing their body and soul for the day of the birth of Christ through fasting and prayer. In the run up to Christmas, practitioners are expected to partake in a 43-day fast known as Tsome Nebiyat or the ‘Fast of the Prophets’. During this period, believers must abstain from all non-vegan products and psychoactive substances, including alcohol and can only consume one meal per day. Fasting also includes abstaining from all animal products and psychoactive substances, including meat, Alcohol (drug), dairy products, and egg.
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One of the most distinctive and spiritually rich traditions is the all-night vigil on Christmas Eve, when the faithful gather for prayers, chants, and processions in Orthodox churches. Christmas celebrations begin with special church services that begin very late in the evening on Christmas Eve and lasts well into the early morning on Christmas Day. Some celebrants attend services all night while others begin their services at 3:00 am! On Christmas Eve, or the gahad of Christmas, Ethiopians attend overnight mass, usually starting around 6pm and finishing at 3am.
As Christmas Eve arrives in Ethiopia, excitement fills the air, and Ethiopian Christmas traditions take center stage. Genna is a special time, cherished for its religious significance and cultural vibrancy. Visitors from around the world come to experience Genna in Lalibela, one of the holiest sites in Ethiopia, where pilgrims celebrate and observe the holiday in a way that transports them back to ancient Christian traditions.
Lalibela, Ethiopia (ላሊበላ) - Tour of the Incredible Rock Churches!
Ethiopian Christmas Celebration
Ethiopian Christmas celebrations are both culturally rich and spiritually significant. Let’s look at how Genna is celebrated through its vibrant traditions of food, attire, music, and games.
Traditional Attire
For Ganna, people get dressed in white. Many Ethiopians don traditional white wraps called shamma, made of thin white cotton with brightly colored stripes on the end. Many followers who have been fasting begin their days with a drink made from flaxseed to prepare their digestive tract to receive food once again. Following that, families gather to enjoy a feast of doro wat, a spicy chicken stew, and injera, a flat sour bread. Tej(honey wine) may also be served. Many bleary-eyed celebrants enjoy traditional Ethiopian coffee on Christmas, as well.
Most people wear a traditional garment called a Netela. It's a thin white cotton piece of cloth with brightly colored stripes across the ends. It's worn like a shawl or toga. Adults wear the Netela. City dwellers may wear white Western clothes. Urban Ethiopians might put on white Western garb. On Christmas Day, a thin white cotton garment called netela is worn. Dressed in white, Ethiopian Christians travel through the streets, going from church to church to celebrate. Ethiopian Christmas is a time when people dress in their finest traditional clothing, especially Habesha kemis for women and Netela or Gabi for men. These garments, often handwoven with intricate patterns, are a source of pride and represent Ethiopian heritage. White and beige tones dominate, symbolizing purity, humility, and devotion. The elegance of these outfits enhances the celebratory spirit of Christmas in Ethiopia, as families and communities come together dressed in their best. During the festivities, a traditional thin, white cotton garment tapered with brightly coloured stripes either end, called a Netela, is worn.
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Festive Food
As with many holidays around the world, Christmas (Genna) has traditional food associated with it. Christmas in Ethiopia is synonymous with festive feasts. After fasting throughout the Advent season, families gather to enjoy a variety of traditional dishes on Christmas Day. Central to the Christmas meal in Ethiopia is the famous Doro Wat, a richly spiced chicken stew often served with hard-boiled eggs. This delicacy, paired with the staple sourdough flatbread Injera, is savored by family members and guests alike, symbolizing the breaking of the fast. The wat is served from a beautifully decorated watertight basket onto a "plate" of injera, which is flat sourdough bread. Wat is eaten on a plate of 'injera' - a flat bread.
Traditional Christmas foods in Ethiopia include 'wat' which is a thick and spicy stew that contains meat, vegetables and sometimes eggs (sounds yummy!). Other traditional dishes that make an appearance include Kitfo (spiced raw or cooked minced meat) and Tibs (sautéed meat with onions and spices), each representing the flavors of Ethiopian cuisine. Coffee ceremonies are also an integral part of Ethiopian Christmas traditions, as Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. After the meal, the coffee ceremony invites guests to enjoy freshly roasted beans brewed in a traditional clay pot, served with incense and snacks to bring people together.
One fun fact that ties Ethiopian coffee to the Christmas story is that legend holds that the three wise men, or Magi, who visited the Christ child came from Ethiopia. To this day, when daily coffee is served, it is brewed three times using the same beans in memory of the three kings, Abol, Tona and Baraka.
Music and Church Services
Traditional services are marked by singing and chanting performed by priests and deacons wearing colorful robes with gold and silver accents. Within the often circular churches, people line up around the sides of the church and begin a long looping procession around the circumference of the church, sound-tracked by a heavenly choir and a range of traditional instruments such as a sistrum, a tambourine shaped drum. As with many holidays around the world, Christmas (Genna) has traditional food associated with it.
Everyone who goes to church for the Ganna celebrations is given a candle. At this point the congregation are given candles, and follow the priest around the church as he bestows blessings for the year upon those he passes. Once they have passed by twice, the congregation are divided by gender and gather round the centre circle, where the priest conducts mass. The people walk around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the candles. Then they go to the second circle to stand during the service. The men and boys are separated from the women and girls.
In a modern church, the choir assembles in the outer circle. Each person entering the church is given a candle. The congregation walks around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the flickering candles. Then they gather in the second circle to stand throughout the long mass, with the men and boys separated from the women and girls. Religious songs, known as Mahlet, fill Orthodox churches, with congregants singing in unison to express joy for the birth of Christ. Traditional instruments such as the kebero (drum) and tsenatsel (sistrum) accompany the melodies, creating an atmosphere of reverence and jubilation.
Ye Genna Chewata
Around the time of Ganna, the men and boys play a game that is also called ganna. One of the most distinctive Ethiopian Christmas traditions is the Ye Genna Chewata, a game played on Christmas Day. Ye Genna Chewata is similar to field hockey, where two teams use sticks to maneuver a ball, symbolizing the shepherds who used similar tools during the time of Christ’s birth. This game is especially popular among men and boys, who compete in good spirit as part of the celebration. The energy and excitement of the game bring communities together, adding a unique sporting element to festivities of Christmas in Ethiopia.
Much like hockey, this sport is played with wooden sticks and a wooden ball and is mostly played by young men. Ethiopian tradition holds that the game began with the shepherds of the Christmas story. When they heard of the birth of Jesus, they were so overwhelmed with joy that they playfully took their shepherd staffs and spontaneously began playing a game in the fields. The game is closely associated with Gena, the January 7 celebration of Christmas, from which it gets its name along with another, rugby-like, sport. Historically, Imperial Ethiopian soldiers acquired proficiency in weapon use from a young age by being trained from childhood with games such as Akandura (Darts) and Gena, which imitated combat.
Gift Giving
In stark contrast to gift-giving at Christmas time in the United States, gift giving does not play a prominent role in Ethiopian culture. People don't give and receive present during Ganna and Timkat. Gifts given on Christmas are typically gifts of new clothes given to children or small gifts to friends and family. If a child receives any gift at all, it is usually a small gift of clothing. Sometimes children might be given a small gift of some clothes from their family members.
Timkat: A Celebration Following Ganna
Twelve days after Ganna, on 19th January, Ethiopians start the three day celebration of Timkat. Twelve days after Ganna, on January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ. It celebrates the baptism of Jesus, who Christians believe is the son of God. In Gondar, Timkat reaches its climax at Fasil’s Pool, where the water is blessed, and participants leap in to symbolise renewal.
The children walk to church services in a procession. They wear the crowns and robes of the church youth groups that they belong to. The grown-ups wear the shamma. Children walk to church services in a procession. They wear the crowns and robes of the church youth groups that they belong to. Adults wear the Netela. The music of Ethiopian instruments makes the Timkat procession a very festive event.
Musical instruments are played during the Timkat procession. The sistrum is a percussion instrument with tinkling metal disks. 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. The sistrum is a percussion instrument with tinkling metal disks a bit like a vertical tambourine. Ethiopian men also play a sport called yeferas guks.
Lalibela: The Heart of Ethiopian Christmas
The best place to be to experience Ethiopian Christmas is Lalibela. The religious ceremonies bring many traders to Lalibela who set up stalls or sell from vans. Traditional clothes, decorative white shawls, necklaces on crosses, bibles and Lalibela T-shirts are some of the most popular items you will find. Many people lose their shoes/sandals when entering the churches, so there’s also plenty of places that sell more plastic sandals for those that can buy new ones. The traders are happy as it is a busy time with plenty of people to buy their goods.
Ethiopian Christmas, or Genna, is a holiday like no other. From the chanting of religious hymns in ancient rock-hewn churches to the traditional games of Ye Genna Chewata, Christmas in Ethiopia is a blend of reverence, culture, and community. It’s a time when friends and family come together, dressed in elegant traditional attire, to feast, pray, and rejoice. Visitors who experience Genna in Ethiopia often find it a truly moving holiday, filled with a spirit of unity, faith, and authenticity.
It is an absolute honour to be in Lalibela for Christmas, sharing the experience with the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and learning about their traditions and culture. Words cannot express this unbelievable and unforgettable religious holiday in Lalibela. Timeless traditions full of symbolic and significant moments of importance. Surrounded by masses of devoted Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in white draped cloth holding candles was an intense and spectacular feeling. In places like Lalibela, where ancient rock-hewn churches have stood for centuries, pilgrims flock from across the country and beyond for this holy occasion. These churches, carved directly into the rock and dating back to the 12th century, offer a mystical and reverent setting that makes Ethiopian Christmas celebrations profoundly meaningful.
Christmas Morning Ceremonies at Bete Maryam Church
The sunrise Christmas celebrations on January 7th centre around Bete Maryam (sometimes spelt Mariam) which means House of Mary. Bete Maryam is the oldest church in Lalibela dated back to the 7th century during the kingdom of Axum. However, most believe the churches were all built during the 12th and 13th centuries after being commissioned by King Lalibela. In the early hours of Christmas morning thousands of people surround Bete Maryam after an overnight vigil.
Inside the courtyard there is a tight circle of priests with drummers in the inner circle. They have moments of chanting, dancing and swaying in faultless unison with the pilgrims joining in (vocally) in moments of celebration. These priests perform their traditional hymns and movements with varying intensity throughout the morning. Once the priests above the rim respond they ones below move further around the courtyard and repeat again and again all around the outside of the church. The priests above represent angels in heaven and the priests below chanting represent the people on earth. The priests above respond to their hymns and chanting and the seamless 2-3 hour ceremony at Bete Maryam church is an incredible display of devotion in religious solidarity and harmony. The Christmas celebrations in Lalibela are broadcast live on Ethiopian TV.
Christmas at the Church of St George, Lalibela
St George is the iconic and most famous of Lalibela’s rock-hewn churches. With no overhead shelter it is a popular place for many visitors to Lalibela to take photos. People are in their finest holiday outfits as well as draped in cloth representing the colours of the Ethiopian flag. The masses of people that come to Lalibela for Christmas are from many different places in Ethiopia. People are happy to have their photos taken by others as they are proud to be in Lalibela.
Ethiopia's Enduring Christian Heritage
Ethiopia was among the very first nations in the world and the first in Africa to embrace Christianity as its state religion in the 4th century, centuries before Europe. The Kingdom of Aksum’s early conversion under King Ezana positions Ethiopia not at the margins of Christianity but at its core. While much of Europe was still practising pagan traditions, the Kingdom of Aksum boldly adopted Christianity as its official state religion. This monumental decision came long before the Roman Empire’s full conversion and even longer before the spread of Christianity to the UK.
Greetings
There are many languages spoken in Ethiopia. Merry Christmas in Amharic is 'Melikam Gena!' (መልካም ገና!), in Oromo it's 'ayyaana dhalootaa kiristoos gaarii hata'u', in Somali it's 'Kirismas Wacan' and in Tigrinya it's 'Ruhus Beal Lidet' (ርሑስ በዓል ልደት). So, as January 7th approaches and the sounds of celebration fill the air, Ethiopians everywhere greet each other with “Melkam Genna!”-Happy Ethiopian Christmas!
