Ethiopia, one of the oldest nations in Africa, boasts a rich cultural heritage that extends to its unique Christmas celebrations. Unlike the Western tradition of celebrating Christmas on December 25th, Ethiopia (and especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church) celebrates Christmas on January 7th. This is because Ethiopia still follows the ancient Julian calendar, placing Christmas on the 29th of Tahsas in the Ethiopian Calendar. Many other orthodox churches around the world also celebrate Christmas on the 7th January.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna or Genna. The Ethiopian Christmas celebrations are slightly different than those in the West. Ganna is a religious holiday, and gift-giving or Santa Claus does not play a role.
Ethiopian Orthodox Priest in Addis Ababa
Preparations for Ganna
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 Ethiopians typically fast for the forty days leading up to Christmas Day. During this time, traditionally only one vegan meal is eaten each day. This means going on a diet without meat, dairy, or alcohol. The day before Ganna, people fast all day. On Christmas Eve it is not uncommon to see locals carrying live chickens or other large portions of meat to their homes.
Traditional Attire and Church Celebrations
For Ganna, people get dressed in white. The next morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white. Most people wear a traditional garment called a Netela. Most Ethiopians don a traditional shamma, a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. It's a thin white cotton piece of cloth with brightly colored stripes across the ends. The shamma is worn somewhat like a toga. It's worn like a shawl or toga. Urban Ethiopians might put on white Western garb. If you live in a big town or city you might wear 'western' clothes.
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Then everyone goes to the early mass at four o'clock in the morning. Everyone who goes to church for the Ganna celebrations is given a candle. Each person entering the church is given a candle. The people walk around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the candles. The congregation walks around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the flickering candles. They then go to the second circle to stand during the service. Then they gather in the second circle to stand throughout the long mass, with the men and boys separated from the women and girls. The men and boys are separated from the women and girls. Priests will wear red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.
The design of Ethiopian Church is similar to the houses. Most Ethiopians who live outside the modern capital city, Addis Ababa, live in round mud-plastered houses with cone-shaped roofs of thatched straw. In areas where stone is plentiful, the houses may be rectangular stone houses. In the country, they are often very old and have been carved out of rock. The churches in Ethiopia echo the shape of the houses. In many parts of the country there are ancient churches carved out of solid volcanic rock. In a modern church, the choir assembles in the outer circle. The choir sings from the outer circle. In the centre circle, the priest serves Holy Communion.
Around the time of Ganna, the men and boys play a game that is also called ganna. Boys play a holiday game (called Ganna) that is comparable to hockey, with a curved stick and round wooden ball. This game represents the shepherds tending to their flocks and is a large part of the Christmas celebrations. Ethiopian men play a sport called yeferas guks which involves horseback riding and shooting "spears" at each other.
Ethiopian Christmas Hockey
Traditional Christmas Foods
Traditional Christmas foods in Ethiopia include wat which is a thick and spicy stew that contains meat, vegetables and sometimes eggs (sounds yummy!). Typically one eats wat on Christmas - which is a spicy stew that contains meat and vegetables. The foods enjoyed during the Christmas season include wat, a thick, spicy stew of meat, vegetables, and sometimes eggs as well. Wat is eaten on a plate of injera - a flat bread. The wat is served from a beautifully decorated watertight basket onto a "plate" of injera, which is flat sourdough bread.
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The special Christmas dish is doro wat, which is a delicious thick spicy stew with chicken and whole boiled eggs in it. It is eaten with injera, a thin sourdough flatbread used to scoop up the wat instead of using cutlery. The special drink for Christmas is made from barley.
Doro Wat
Timkat: A Celebration of Baptism
Twelve days after Ganna, on 19th January, Ethiopians start the three day celebration of Timkat. The celebration, which will last for 12 days, then begins. This is a time of games, festivities, folk dancing and performances. It celebrates the baptism of Jesus, who Christians believe is the son of God. This three-day festival commemorates Jesus’s baptism in the Jordan River. It is one of the few occasions when the tabot (replica of the Ark of the Covenant) is removed from church altars; it’s then swaddled in colourful cloth and paraded around at the head of a procession.
Children walk to church services in a procession. 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. Adults wear the Netela. Timkat is a particularly spectacular occasion in Gondar when Fasil’s Pool is filled with water and hundreds of eager participants leap in to re-enact the baptism. It is also a big event in Lalibela.
The music of Ethiopian instruments makes the Timkat procession a very festive event. Musical instruments are played during the Timkat procession. Timkat is known for its music, and many instruments are played during the celebration. The sistrum is a percussion instrument with tinkling metal disks a bit like a vertical tambourine. 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.
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In Ethiopia the current year isn’t 2015 - it is 2008. The Julian calendar is used, so Christmas is celebrated on 7 January, and New Year’s Day is on 11 September. On all special holidays, including Christmas, the floor is covered with grass. On Christmas Day many people wear traditional Ethiopian dress. It is a day for families to gather together, to eat and enjoy time together.
Ganna and Timkat are not occasions for giving gifts in Ethiopia. People don't give and receive present during Ganna and Timkat. 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. People told us that only families with lots of money talk about Santa Claus or Father Christmas. Santa Claus is a fairly recent visitor to Ethiopia, only being known about through 'western' Christmas traditions.
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).
The Ethiopian Christmas celebrations, deeply rooted in religious tradition and cultural heritage, offer a unique and enriching experience. From the solemn fasts to the vibrant processions and festive meals, Ganna and Timkat showcase the enduring spirit of Ethiopia.
