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Enkutatash (New Year)
Ethiopia still retains the Julian calendar, in which
the year is divided into 12 months of 30 days each
and a 13th month of 5 days and 6 days in leap year.
The Ethiopian calendar is 8 years behind the
Gregorian calendar from January to September and 7
years behind between September 11 and January 8.
Enkutatash means the "gift of jewels". When the
famous Queen of Sheba returned from her expensive
jaunt to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs
welcomed her bolts by replenishing her treasury with
inku or jewels. The spring festival has been
celebrated since these early times and as the rains
come to their abrupt end, dancing and singing can be
heard at every village in the countryside.
» Timket (Epiphany)
Timket, feast of Epiphany is the greatest festival
of the year falling on the 19th of January, two
weeks after the Ethiopian Christmas. It is a
three-day affair beginning on the eve of Timket,it
is marked by the procession of the tabots(the
replicas of the Ark of Covenant ) around all
orthodox churches. The following morning the great
day itself, Christ's baptism in the Jordan River by
John the Baptist is commemorated and to commemorate
people bathe in the lakes and splash water over the
onlooker.
After
the ceremony, the tabots are taken back to the
churches in procession, accompanied by singing,
drumming, the ringing of bells and blowing of
trumpets. More religious ceremony takes place the
following day, dedicated to the Archangel Mikael,
after which the priests are fed by their
parishioners and young people continue to celebrate
in the night.
Best place to witness this festival: Gondor,
Lalibela, Axum and Addis abeba.
» Gena (Christmas)
Christmas, called Lidet, is not the primary
religious and secular festival that it has become in
Western countries. Falling on 7 January, it is
celebrated after 43 days fasting known as Tsome
Gahad (Advent) , by a church service and spectacular
procession that goes on throughout the night, with
people moving from one church to another.
Traditionally, young men played a game similar to
hockey, called genna, on this day, and now Christmas
has also come to be known by that name.
Best place to witness this festival: Lalibela
» Meskel ( Finding of the
True Cross)
Meskal has been celebrated in the country for over
1600 years. It is celebrated in memory of the
finding of the True Cross by Empress Eleni. This is
as colorful as Timket, however instead of water the
focus of the celebration is a bonfire before topped
with an image of a cross to which flowers are tied
held on September 27. Priest in full ceremonial
dress bless the bonfire before it is lit. This
festival coincides with the mass blooming of the
golden Maskal Daisies, called Adey Ababa in Amharic,
symbolically heralding the advent of a new year
after the rainy season is over.
Best places to be witness is Addis Ababa, and at the
entire historical route.
» Hidar Tsion in November
The Virgin Mary is one of the most venerated of all
religious figures in Ethiopia. About 33 days are
annually dedicated to different celebrations in the
commemoration of Mary " Hidar Tsion" is associated
with the presence of the Ark of the Covenant in Axum
and belief that the Ark itself is a symbolism to her
womb.
The
festival is attended by tens of thousands of people
from all over Ethiopia, making it one of the most
joyous annual pilgrimages in Axum, the "sacred city
of the Ethiopians."
Best place to witness this festival: Axum
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