Ethiopia to Celebrate Easter

Celebrating Easter in the glamorous Ethiopia

Accompanied with longer abstinence from proteins and animal products to fasting Easter in Ethiopia is celebrated with big feast and lots of cultural and religious activities that will enlighten visitors. Tradition holds that people in Ethiopia invite friends and family over and eat together. The celebration involves celebrating in gathering to commemorate Jesus' resurrection where the public show love to one another.

If you enjoy festivity and big celebration Ethiopia's a place to be. It has great destinations and celebrations that will stay in your mind forever. Get your hands on the festivals, sights and the lip-smacking tastes of Ethiopia. The country mixes festivity and fiesta aligned with best destinations and mouthwatering dishes. Easter is full of charming holiday vibe during the day and night time with so much outdoor and indoor activities. Handicrafts, clothing, leather shoes and bags price go down significantly offering luxury items without breaking the bank. It takes you deep into unforgettable experiences revealing its ancient wealth and traditions. Even if you have seen the world and experienced so much great in the globe, Ethiopia will amuse you with so much of its breath-taking destinations Travel agencies observed.

You might have seen a lot but not so much of a fire lake which bubblies like an avalanche in the mountain. It is a rare global destination under Ethiopia’s soil stunning many who visited the place famously known as Erta Ale. It is a truly jaw dropping nature's extreme destination. The lakes, the mountains and wildlife’s are among the many things to visit from this fabulous country. It does not lack any creative human made treasures as well; explore Lalibela, Aksum and churches erected from shaping a giant rock which are still standing centuries after. Its holiday celebrations are not an expectation rather an absolute delight worth your visit to have the best experience of your life.

Easter Sunday takes place on April 16, 2017, around Ethiopia Good Friday commences the biggest celebration where people worship, pray and fast. It is one of the most sacred celebrations, people flock to churches for all day long and all night. They worship lighting candles sing through streets enjoying a glorious display of celebration bells and chants from churches. People attend churches dressed in white traditional cotton clothing and robs. Good Friday is a prayer time where almost everyone goes to church for communion and worship giving thanks and portraying love to one another helping the needy. The celebration is marked by a passionate sequence of spiritual activities, traditions and festivities. Churches reconstruct biblical scenes, creating captivating displays and reenacting the events of Easter. The day is dominated by an atmosphere of joy, festivity and commemorating the holiday with thankfulness.

Eve of Easter is all about preparing for the Easter Sunday cooking to welcome large family gathering. Traditionally Easter lunch is the biggest festivity, consisting the best of the local dishes. Easter holiday cooking includes several culinary varieties blending indigenous spicy ingredients and local famous breads including difo dabo, hibest, anbasha and kocho. The holiday dishes comprise of injera large flat bread and a variety of spicy stews with beef, lamb, fish and chicken creating a mouthwatering combination. Every household during Easter prepares a distinctive local dishes such as doro stew with boiled eggs, chopped collard seasoned greens, lamb, kitfo (minced raw beef), tibs (traditionally seasoned and fried meat) and gord gored (cubed raw meat) as well as sweets treats including cakes and sweet roasted cereals and pastries.

Fiesta starts early in the morning during Easter Sunday. People dress up in their traditional clothing gather together for festivity having the Easter breakfast. Homes also have different set up with grass strewn, popcorn, traditional giant breads and coffee presented in the living room. Buna (Ethiopian coffee) which involves a long process is served right after breakfast. Its tradition to roast the beans in the living room allowing families and guests to inhale the refreshing aroma of the coffee vapors. The process is repeated with new roasting when new guests arrive. It not to be missed holiday where even hotels and restaurants create a home like vibe bringing the traditional celebrations even to travelers hotel rooms. The holiday mood will be there for a week.

Eden can be reached at eden.sahle@jumia.com

The Living Churches Of An Ancient Kingdom

The ancient Axumite Kingdom, now a part ofEthiopia, was possibly the first nation in the world to convert to Christianity. In AD 340 King Ezanacommissioned the construction of the imposing basilica of St. Mary of Tsion. It was here, the Ethiopians say, that Menelik, son of King Solomonand the Queen of Sheba, brought the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments. By the fifth century, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church had spread beyond Axum into the countryside, aided by nine saints from Byzantium, and over the next ten centuries a series of spectacular churches were either built or excavated out of solid rock in the region, all of them in regular use to this day. Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has the best known cluster, but the northern state of Tigray, less famous and more remote, has many churches that are masterpieces of design.

Ethiopia: The Living Churches of an Ancient Kingdom traces the broad sweep of ecclesiastical history, legend, art, and faith in this sub-Saharan African kingdom and describes some seventy of the most breathtaking churches, with their astounding architecture, colorful decoration, and important religious festivals, all illustrated by more than eight hundred superb color photographs by some of the most celebrated international photographers of traditional cultures. This magnificent, large-format, full-color volume is the most comprehensive celebration yet published of the extraordinary Christian architectural and cultural heritage of Ethiopia. 

Ethiopia is the third book on iconic sacred places published by Ludwig Publishing and the American University in Cairo Press, following the bestselling success of The Churches of Egypt and The History and Religious Heritage of Old Cairo. Read more here

Ethiopian Christians celebrate colorful Epiphany

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Abune Mathias (C) attends the celebrations marking the anniversary of Jesus Christ's baptism at Meyazia 27 Square in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on January 18, 2018. Three day celebrations include hymns and prayers. ( Minasse Wondimu Hailu - Anadolu Agency )

by Addis Getachew 

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox faith on Friday celebrated Timket -- also called the Epiphany -- a holiday commemorating Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River.

To mark the day, tents called Tabots were pitched to house tablets bearing the Ten Commandments from all churches.

Hundreds of thousands gathered at Jan Meda, the largest open field in the capital Addis Ababa, where 11 Tabots were placed in tents for the Timket celebration.

Holy water was sprinkled on believers, and spiritual songs sung by clergy wearing colorful vestments livened the occasion.

Marking the holy day, church Patriarch Abuna Mathias spoke on the significance of peace, love, compassion, and charity.

Attending the ceremony for the first time, Richard Hillico from Australia described the celebration as “massive”.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said, adding that the sense of get-together in Ethiopia differs from festivals in Australia, which he said, only bring families together, not such a huge crowd.

“I came here to see what my friends said was a very colorful event,” said Charles Kim Hyungchun Kim, a Korean doctor working at a hospital in Addis Ababa.

“I found it even better than what they described. The religious procession, the chants, the way people dress all give the occasion a great sense of togetherness and a joyous mood.”

Read more here 

ስለ ኢሬቻና ኦዳ አመጣጥ ከመሰረቱ

ስለ ኢሬቻና ኦዳ አመጣጥ ከመሰረቱ 🌻
ሎሬት ፀጋዬ ገ/መድህን እንደ ከተበው ✍

« ... አቴቴ ፈጣሪ ሰላም እንዲያወርድ ተማፅና የመታሰቢያ ዋርካ ተከለች። አምላክም ዝናብ አዝንቦ ዋርካውን አሳደገው፣ ልጆቿም የሚዳኙበት አዲስ ስርዓት ነገራት። ያንንም የሰላም ትንሣኤ ሕይወት ገዳ ስርዓት አለው። ጥንታዊ ና መሰረታዊ እምነቱ ደግሞ ዋቄፈና ተባለ። ኢሬቻ ይህ ስርዓት የሚከበርበት በዓል ነው።

የእሬቻ አከባበርና ለኦሮሞ የሰላምና የአንድነት ተምሳሌት ...

በኢትዮጵያ በኩሽ ምድር ፥ እሬቻ በኦሮሞ ዘንድ በገዳ ስርዓት ህዝቡ ተሰብስቦ ለምለም ቄጠማ፤ አረንጓዴ ቅጠል፤ አበባ ይዞ ፤ ፈጣሪን በወንዝ/በሀይቅ ዳርቻ ወይም በተራራ ላይ የማመስገን፤ የማክበር ፤የማምለክ በአል ነው። ገዳ ስርዓት በውሰጡ የፖለቲካ፣ የሐይማኖት፣ የባህል እና የምጣኔ ሀብት ሰንሰለቶችን የያዘ ነው። በክረመት ወቅት ወነዞቸ ስለሚሞሉ ሰዎች አይገናኙም፤ ማህበራዊ ግነኙነቶችም ይቀነሳሉ፤ መስከረም ሲጠባ የክረምት ወቀት አልቆ፣ የሞሉ ወንዞች ቀንሰው ፣ የተዘራው ያብባል፣ ጨለማው በብርን ይተካል፣ ምድር በልምላሜ ታጌጣለች። የዚህ ሁሉ መልካም ነገር ባለቤት ደግሞ ዋቃ/ ፈጣሪ/ ነው። የኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ለዋቃ ከፍተኛ የሆነውን ምስጋና ወደ ወነዞችና ሐይቆች በመውረድ ያቀርባል። ወንዞች ወይም ሐይቆች የተመረጡበት ምክንያት ውሃ ፈጣሪ/ዋቃ/ በጥበቡ ለሰውና ለሌሎች ፍጡራን ከለገሳቸው ስጦታዎች ውስጥ ዋነኛው በመሆኑና የዋቃ ሐይል የሚንፀባረቅበት ስለሆነ ነው። የኦሮሞ ሕዝብ እና አባ ገዳዎች በተገኙበት መሬዮ መሬዮ መሬዮ….ኦያ መሬዮ በማለት ለምለም ቄጤማ እና አደይ አበባ በመያዝ ውሀውን እየነኩ አምላክ ተመስገን ክበርልን እያሉ ምስጋናቸውን ለዋቃ ያቀርባሉ። የኦሮሞ ሕዝብ በወንዝም ሆነ በዛፍ አያመልክም። በእሬቻ እነሱን ለፈጠረ አምላክ፤ የተፈጥሮን ኡደት ሳያዛባ ያስቀጠለ ዋቃ ይመሰገናል። ዋቃ ይከበራል። ዋቃ /ፈጣሪ/ ይመለካል። እሬቻ የእርቅ ቀን የሰላም ይሁንልን።«
ሎሬት ጸጋዬ ገ/መድኅን ቀዌሳ፤ ገዳ መፅሔት

ኢሬቻ ማለት ማምለክ እና ማመስገን ማለት ነው፡፡ ይሄን ስላደረግህልኝ፣ከክረምት ወደ በጋ (ብራ) ስላሸጋገርከኝ አመሠግናለሁ እየተባለ ፈጣሪ የሚመሰገንበት ነው፡፡ ኢሬቻ ሠፊ አገልግሎቶች አሉት፡፡ መነሻውም በጣም የራቀ ነው፡፡ ሠው ማምለክ ከጀመረበት ጊዜ ጀምሮ የመጣ ነው።በተለይ የኦሮሞን ብሔር ጨምሮ በኩሽቲክ የቋንቋ ክፍል ውስጥ የሚጠቃለሉ ብሄሮች ሃይማኖቶች ከመምጣታቸው በፊት ኢሬቻ (እርጥብ ሣር) ይዘው ነው ፈጣሪያቸውን የሚለማመኑት፡፡ ኢሬቻ በእርጥብ ሣር ይወከላል፡፡ለጋብቻ ጥያቄ በራሱ (ኢሬቻ) እርጥብ ሣር አገልግል ውስጥ ተጨምሮ ነውየሚላከው፡፡ እንግዲህ እነዚህን ነገሮች በምናይበት ጊዜ ኢሬቻ ሃይማኖታዊ ዳራ ያለው መሆኑን እንገነዘባለን፡፡ ድሮ ሠዎች መልዕክተኛ ሲልኩ እርጥብ ሣርቆርጠው በመስጠት፣ “አደራህን በፈጣሪ ስም ይህን መልዕክት አድርስልኝ”ብለው ይልኩታል፡፡ እንግዲህ ቃል በቃል ሲገለፅ፤ ኢሬቻ ሣር ወይም የተመረጡ ዛፎች ቅጠል ማለት ነው፡፡

ኢሬቻ በአመት ሁለት ጊዜ ነው የሚደረገው የመጀመሪያው ከነሐሴ መጨረሻ ጀምሮ እስከ ጥቅምት መጨረሻ ይካሄዳል፤ ሁለተኛው ደግሞ በበልግ ወራቶች ግንቦትና ሠኔ ውስጥ የሚደረግ ነው፡፡ ሁለተኛው ግን አሁን እየተረሣና እየተዳከመ ነው ያለው፡፡ ሠዎች መገንዘብ ያለባቸው ኢሬቻ ሃይማኖት አይደለም። ነገር ግን ሃይማኖታዊ ክብረ በአል ነው፡፡ ለምሣሌ ጥምቀት ሃይማኖታዊ በአልነው እንጂ ሃይማኖት አይደለም፡፡ ኢሬቻም እንዲሁ ነው፡፡

እምነቱ ምንድን ነዉ?

የሃይማኖቱ ስም ዋቄፈና ነው፡፡ የእምነቱ ተከታይ ዋቄፈታ ነው የሚባለው፡፡ከዋቄፈና ሃይማኖታዊ በአላት አንዱ ኢሬቻ ነው፤ ሌሎችም ብዙ በአላት አሉ፡፡ሌላው ከዚህ ሃይማኖታዊ በአል ጋር በልማድ አብሮ ተቀላቅሎ የሚከወን ነገር አለ፡፡ ለምሣሌ ቡና ማፍላት፣ ዛፍ ቅቤ መቀባት፣ ስለት ማግባት፣ ሽቶ ውሃ ውስጥ መወርወር የመሣሠሉ አሉ፡፡ እነዚህ ሁሉ ልማዶች ናቸው እንጂ የሃይማኖቱ መርሆች የሚያዛቸው አይደሉም፡፡ ሃይማኖቱ በጭራሽ እነዚህን ነገሮች አይፈቅድም። የኦሮሞ ህዝብ የተለያዩ ሃይማኖቶች ተከታይ ነው፡፡ በክርስትናውም በእስልምናውም ሃይማኖት ውስጥ ያሉ አሉ፡፡ እነዚህ እንዴት ነው የዚህ በአል ተሣታፊ የሚሆኑት?

የበዓሉ አከባበር ምን ይመስላል?

የኦሮሞ ህዝብ በየቦታው ያለና ሠፊ ስለሆነ የበአሉ ትውፊታዊ አከባበር ወጥነትየለውም፡፡ የተለያዩ ክዋኔዎች ይንፀባረቃሉ፡፡ በአከባበርም ይለያያሉ፡፡ መሠረታዊ ስርአቱ ግን እሬቻ (እርጥብ ሣር) ይይዛሉ፣ በእለቱ የሚዘመሩ መዝሙሮች ይኖራሉ። ነገር ግን እነዚህ መዝሙሮች በቱለማ፣ በሜሜ እንዲሁም በቦረና የተለያዩ ናቸው፡፡ ዋናው ነገር ግን መዝሙሩን እየዘመሩ ወደ “መልካ” (ወንዝ)ይሄዳሉ፡፡ እዚያም ሲደርሡ “በክረምት ወቅት ያሉትን ተግዳሮቶች አሣልፈህ ለዚህ ላደረስከን በጣም እናመሠግናለን” ይላሉ፡፡ በዚያው ቀንም ግለሠቦችኢሬቻውን ይዘው የጐደለባቸውን ለፈጣሪያቸው በፀሎት እየነገሩ መለመን ይችላሉ፡፡ መልካው (ወንዙ) ምልክትነቱ ከዚህ በኋላ በጋ ሆኗል፣ ወንዙም ጎድሏል፤ ዘመድ ከዘመድ ወንዝ እየተሻገረ መጠያየቅ ይችላል ብሎ የሚገልፅነው፡፡ በእለቱ ሽማግሌዎች ሃይማኖታዊ ንግግሮች ያደርጉና በድሮው ባህልእርድ ይኖራል፣ ያ ይበላ ይጠጣና ፈጣሪን በተለያዩ ጨዋታዎች እያመሠገኑ ወደየ መጡበት ይመለሣሉ ማለት ነው፡፡

ሃይማኖቱን የሚመሩት እነማን ናቸው?

ምዕመናኑ “ሚሤንሣ” ይባላሉ፡፡ በገልማ (ቤተ-አምልኮ) ውስጥ በዝማሬ አገልግሎት የሚሠጡት ዋዩ ይባላሉ፡፡ አባ ከኩ የሚባሉት ደግሞ ፀሎት አድራሽናቸው፡፡ ሉባ የሚባለው የተለያዩ የአስተዳደር አመራር ቦታዎችን የሚያከፋፍል ነው፡፡ ቀጥሎ የሚመጣው ጉላነው፡፡ ጉላ ከተጠቀሡት በላይ ሆኖ በማዕከላዊ ደረጃ ሃይማኖቱን የሚመራ ነው፣ ይህ ግለሠብ በሃይማኖቱ ላይ ከ13 አመት በላይ ያገለገለ መሆን ይኖርበታል፡፡ በሌላ በኩል በገዳ ባህላዊ አስተዳደራዊ ስርአት በኩልም የሚመጣ የጐላ ደረጃ አለ፡፡ የመጨረሻው ደረጃአባ ኬና ይባላል፡፡ አባ ኬና የገዳ ስርአቱንም ሆነ ሃይማኖታዊ ስርአቱን ልቅም አድርጐ የሚያውቅ ሊቅ ነው፡፡ በዚህ የኢሬቻ በአልአያንቱዎች ተሣትፎ ያደርጋሉ፡፡

ከእነሡ ጋርስ ያለው ግንኙነት ምንድን ነው?

እንግዲህ አያንቱ የሚባለው በሃይማኖታዊው ስርአት ውስጥ ያለ ነው፡፡ኢሬቻ ማለት የኦሮሞ ህዝብ የዋቄፈና ስርአት ነው፡፡ ዋቄፈና ማለት ሃይማኖታዊ ማለት ነው። ትልቁ ነገር የዋቄፈና በአል ነው ብንልም በባህል የተሞላ ነው፡፡ እንደ ሌላው ንፁህ ሃይማኖታዊ በአል ነው ማለት አይቻልም፡፡ በአብዛኛው ባህሉ ነው ጐልቶ የሚንፀባረቀው፡፡ “ኢሬቻ” የምትለዋ ቃል የምትወክለው ሣር ወይም አበባ ነው፡፡ ያንን የያዘ ሠው ኢሬቻ የሚሄድ ሠው ነው፡፡ ዋቄፈና ማለት ደግሞ ለአንድ አምላክ ብዙ ሆኖ ምስጋና ማቅረብ ማለት ነው፡፡

የኦሮሞ ህዝብ በአንድነት ተሠብስቦ በፈጣሪው ምስጋና የሚያቀርብበት ነው፡ይህ ሃይማኖታዊ ሊያሠኘው ይችል ይሆናል፡፡
እድምተኞቹ “መሬሆ” የሚለውን የምስጋና መዝሙር በአንድነት እያሠሙ ለአምላካቸው ምስጋና ያቀርቡበታል፡፡ ባህላዊ የምንለው ደግሞ ህዝቡ የፈለገውን የባህል ጭፈራ እየጨፈረ ነው የሚመጣው። ወንዱም ሴቱም በልዩ አለባበስ ተውቦ በአሉ ወደ ሚከበርበት ስፍራ ይሄዳል፡፡

እንደ ኢሬቻ ባህልን በጉልህ የሚያሣይ በአል የለም፡፡ ለዚህ ነው ባህሉ ስለሚያመዝን ሃይማኖታዊነቱ ይሸፈናል፡፡ በኦሮሞ ባህሎች በእጅጉ የተሞላ ነው፡፡

የዋቄፈና  ሃይማኖት ተከታዮች የእምነቱን መሠረታዊ መርሆች በጠበቀ መልኩ እየተከበረ አይደለም የሚል ቅሬታ ያነሣሉ?አንዳንድ ፈሩን የለቀቁ ሠዎች የሚያደርጉት ድርጊት አለ፡፡ የኦሮሞ ህዝብም አባ ገዳዎችም የሚቃወሙት ድርጊቶች አሉ፡፡ የኦሮሞ ዋቄፈና በአንድ አምላክ ብቻ ነው የሚያምነው፡፡ እግዚአብሔር ተአምር የሠራበት ቦታብለው ነው እዚያ የሚሄዱት እንጂ ወንዝ ለማምለክ አይደለም፡፡ የኦሮሞ ህዝብ ሰይጣን አለ ብሎ አያምንም፡፡ ሰው ሲያብድ በአንድ ጣሳ ውሃ የሚለቅ ሰይጣን እንደት ባህር ውስጥ ይተኛል ብሎ ነው የሚጠይቀው።

ስለዚህ ኦሮሞ በዛፍ እና በወንዝ አያምንም፡፡እዚያ ቦታ ግን መሰብሰቢያና ፈጣሪን የሚያገኝበት ቦታ ነው፡፡ ነገር ግን
አንዳንዶች በስለት ስም ውሃ ውስጥ ሽቶ መወርወራቸው የመሳሰለው ለባህሉም በእምነቱም ተቀባይነት የሌለው ድርጊት ነው፡፡

የቀለበት ቃልኪዳን ማህበር ከእምነት ጋር ይገናኛው፣ ጭፈራዎቹና ፌሽታዎች ደግሞ ባህል ናቸው ባህል ማለት የማንነት መግለጫ ነው፡፡ ሃይማኖት፣ታሪክ፣ቋንቋ ባህል ውስጥ የሚጠቀለሉ ናቸው ስንል ባህልና ሃይማኖትን ለያይቶ ሃይማኖት መመልከት ትክክል አይደለም፡፡ በእሬቻ ላይ ደግሞ የበለጠ የሚንፀባረቀው ባህላዊነቱ ነው።

የኦሮሞ ትልቁ ፀሎት የሚባለው ምረቃ ነው። ምረቃውን ደግሞ ሙስሊምም ክርስቲያንም ይመርቃል፡፡ ስለዚህ እሬቻ ሁሉንም የሚያሳትፍ ባህል ነው፡፡

እሬቻ በዓል የሚውልበት ቀን በምንድነው የሚታወቀው?

በእርግጥ አሁን የእሬቻ አቆጣጠር ከመስቀል ደመራ ጋር ይገናኛል፡፡ ድሮ ሌሎች ሃይማኖቶች ማይገቡ ቀኑ ከነሃሴ ጀምሮ ይከበር ነበር። ነገር ግን አሁን ከመስቀል ደመራ ማግስት ባለው እሁድ ቀን ነው የሚሆነው፡፡በመስቀል ደመራ ነው ቀኑ የሚታወቀው። ወቅቱ የአበባና የልምላሜ ወቅት ትልቅ ተስፋ የሚታይበት ስለሆነ ለዚህ በቅተናል ተብሎ ነው የሚታሰበው፡፡ Read more here

Ethiopians celebrate Meskel festival commemorating discovery of Christ's cross

Ethiopian Orthodox Christians celebrated the Meskel festival on Wednesday to commemorate the fourth century discovery by Roman Empress Saint Helena (Queen Eleni) of the True Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

The festival, also celebrated by Eritrean Orthodox churches, is marked by the burning of a large bonfire and a procession (Demera) which saw tens of thousands of Christians and tourists gather at the Meskel Square on Tuesday in the capital Addis Ababa.

The bonfire and procession commemorates the belief that Queen Eleni – as she is called by the Orthodox churches – was directed to the true cross through a dream in which she was told to start a bonfire and follow the smoke to where the cross was buried.

The festival falls on September 27 or September 28 in a leap year. The procession is either held on the evening before the festival or on the day itself.

Ethiopia held the procession on Tuesday with participants including priests and students dressed in long white religious robes and head gears sang spiritual songs and circle the bonfire which is fuelled by firewood decorated with daisies prior to the celebration.

Little processions are also held at homes and rain is expected at the end of the event to put out the fire. If the rain falls, the year is expected to be prosperous.

Ashes from the remains of the fire is collected the next day and used to mark the foreheads of faithful with the sign of the cross.

A feast is held afterwards.

It was also held successfully in Eritrea’s capital Asmara and other parts of the country. Read more here

Meskel, Ethiopia’s Intangible Heritage will be celebrated on the 26th and 27th of September

The Ethiopian New Year comes up with various religious and cultural celebrations which are marked indoors among families and outdoors with the entire public. Meskel, the holiday celebrated in commemoration of the discovery of the True Cross happens to be one of those holidays marked at outdoor venues.

Meskel, meaning the Cross in Amharic is an annual religious Ethiopian holiday  among Orthodox Christian believers and the first outdoor feast in the Church calendar. Meskel takes place on the 27th of September, or 28th during a leap year, Gregorian calendar.

In addition to its religious values, Meskel coincides with the end of the main rainy season (June to September) and the onset of Ethiopian spring in which fields and meadows in the country are carpeted with mesmerizing endemic daisies, locally known as adey abeba, with their captivating yellow colors which majestically envelop the Ethiopian fields. The daisies prevail for only two months and disappear over the next ten months to reappear at the same period the next year.

Meskel is also a time when many urbanites return home to villages. Neighborhoods and villages celebrate Demera in thousands of local celebrations. 

The feast of Meskel started on the 26th  of September with the celebration of the Demera, a ceremonial burning of a large bonfire. It is a special event that is conducted on the eve of Meskel to recall the smoke that supposedly led Empress Helena to the site of the True Cross.

The True Cross, Christ had crucified upon it, was thrown in a ditch or well, and then covered with stones and earth, until Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of Rome, discovered the place where three crosses that were believed to be used at the crucifixion of Jesus and of two thieves, executed with him were found.

Empress Helena had a revelation in a dream to make a bonfire and that the smoke would show her where the true cross was buried. So she ordered the people of Jerusalem to bring wood and make a huge pile. After adding frankincense to it the bonfire was lit and the smoke raised high up to the sky and returned to the ground, exactly to the spot where the True Cross had been buried.

The national feast of Demera is held at Meskel Square, a huge square in Addis Ababa, on September 26, the eve of Meskel, the official day of the Feast of the Finding of the True Cross.

That morning, the demera, a tall pyramid of branches, decorated with adey abeba, daisy-like flowers, prepare at the Meskel Square and in public squares or at intersections.

At the Meskel Square, in the afternoon, dozens of Sunday school students and members of the clergy move through the square singing spiritual songs that last for hours. As darkness begins to set in, the demera is set ablaze.

The following day, the official day of the feast of the finding of the True Cross, Ethiopians attend liturgy and a feast and celebrate with family and friends. Many use the ashes from the demera to mark their foreheads with a shape of a cross.

The Demera festival of the Meskel holiday, its celebration dates back to 1600 years, has been registered as world intangible heritage by UNESCO in December 2013, as the first intangible Ethiopian heritage.

During Meskel festival, a special species of birds known as ‘YeMeskel Wof  -Meskel’s Bird’ also appears. Generally, the word 'YeMeskel Wof' is used to call the four bird species, namely the northern red bishops, indigo-birds, whydah and widow birds, and yet it has more than ten species under it.  These birds are also enjoyed by bird watchers during Meskel.

These birds are endemic to Ethiopia, and do not migrate from one place to another as other birds do. As September, Ethiopia’s first month, is their reproduction season, the colors of their feathers gets changed in order to attract opposite sexes. Due to this change, it looks that they are new birds that appear only at this time of the year.

Meskel also marks a tourist season in Ethiopia. Thousands of tourists from many countries converge on Ethiopia to enjoy the ceremonies during the Meskel celebrations. They particularly enjoy celebrating Meskel in Addis Ababa at Meskel Square and in tourist attraction areas in the northern part of the country known as the historical route among tourists and travel agencies catering to tourism in the country.

Meskel is celebrated as a grand religious occasion among the Ethiopian Orthodox believers because it is believed that a part of the True Cross has been brought to Ethiopia. It is said to be kept at Amba Gishen, which itself has a shape a cross.

The cross has a special meaning for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. Christians of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church dangle the symbol of the cross on their neck.

Priests carry various types of cross with their ceremonial staff in conducting mass and other forms of prayers including a ceremonial blessings and sanctification of holy waters meant for healing the sick and casting out evil spirits from persons suspected of being possessed by demons.

Mario De Salvo says that “There is no country in the world that matches Ethiopia in the number of forms and types of its crosses. Ever since Ethiopia's conversion to Christianity, the cross has appeared almost universally, not only as a liturgical instrument in churches and monasteries, but also in common devotion and in daily life.”

From the cross stamped on the Aksumite coins, depicted in architecture and illustrated in the ancient illuminated codices to the astylar, manual or pectoral crosses made and forged respectively for liturgical functions, the author notes that “there is no country in the world that matches Ethiopia in the number of forms and types of its crosses.” (Mario Da Silva, Crosses of Ethiopia, 2006)

Ethiopia boasts various types of crosses that are used on various religious and cultural occasions. The most popular ones are the crosses of Lalibela, Axum and Gondar. Tourists from various countries visiting Ethiopia make sure that they purchase various types of Ethiopian crosses that are made from silver and bronze, as well as carved from wood and marble. Read more here

Ethiopian icons spotlighted in next exhibit

CLINTON - The Museum of Russian Icons is opening a new mini-exhibit, “From the Vault: Icons of Ethiopia,” on Saturday, May 20. This exhibit features a mix of Ethiopian icons, silver hand crosses, and artifacts from the museum’s collection dating from the 19th and 20th century. Many of the icons were purchased from Ikon Gallery in Berlin, Germany, between 2011 and 2014, including a Mother of God fresco, from the late 18th century that had been removed from the wall and transferred to canvas. “This very rare icon is one of the great treasures of the museum’s collection,” noted Museum Curator Kent Russell.

Ethiopian iconography, which didn’t appear until the 16th century, is easily recognized by the stylized and graphically bold figures with large, almond-shaped eyes painted in bright and vivid colors. These icons could be found in monasteries, churches, and the homes of the wealthy.

A newly acquired “magic scroll” will also be on view in the exhibit. This traditional Ethiopian art form is based on ancient beliefs that illnesses and other crises were the work of demons. A cleric of the Ethiopian Church would create the scroll, customized to the height of the patron, and inscribed with healing prayers and stories of saints and angels triumphing over Satan. They were written in Ge’ez, the liturgical language of Ethiopia. The scrolls were believed to have protective and healing powers, and were always carried by the owner.

"The practice of creating and using magic scrolls continues today, despite attempts by church officials to eliminate what they see as a superstitious tradition,” Russell said.

Next up in the main first floor gallery is “Fantastic Beasts in Iconography,” a family-oriented exhibit which will explore natural and unnatural creatures in icons and their symbolic meanings. The exhibition opens on June 3 with a special Family Day featuring animal-themed games, stories, crafts, snacks and face painting. Read more here

Turkey restoring tomb of Ethiopian King Najashi, who sheltered Muslim emigrants

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) is finishing up a restoration project on the tomb of King Najashi, the former leader of modern day Ethiopia's Kingdom of Aksum.

TIKA coordinator in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, Fazıl Akın Erdoğan, told reporters that the restoration project on a mosque and tomb located 800 kilometers from the capital would wrap up this year.

In addition to the restorations, Erdoğan explained that additional buildings were being constructed in the area, "We made a full-fledged food court to serve the needs of the guests and visitors. Besides the kitchen, we built a multi-purpose hall that can fit 500 people," he said.

The restoration team also met the water needs of the tomb area by building 160 ton water depots in two different places.

Noting that the project had been ongoing for three years, Erdoğan said that Ottoman architectural examples were evident in the marble, door, and window details of the mosque and tomb.

Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey had made various negotiations with Ethiopia's Religious Services Consultancy and that they would like King Najashi's tomb to be added to the route of pilgrimage and umrah organizations in Turkey. If this happens, he said, the tomb would be a huge contribution to the tourism industry in Ethiopia.

Imam Mohammad Ibrahim of the Najashi Mosque explained that, before the renovation works, the mosque was not in a good condition, but that everything had changed with the restoration effort.

The imam also stated that he always prayed for Turkey and Turkish people saying, "Turkey is not only helping us, it is helping all Muslims."

Getachew Berhe, an Ethiopian engineer who has worked on the project and speaks Turkish fluently, explained that after studying civil engineering in Turkey, he returned to his country and began working on the restoration efforts.

Bearing in mind that the project is very significant for both Muslims and Ethiopians, Berhe said, "I am very pleased to have contributed to this work."

King Najashi, also known as Armah, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Aksum from 614-631. The Empire was a trading nation situated in modern-day Eritrea and Ethopia, existing from approximately 100-940 AD.

King Najashi gave shelter to early Muslims from Mecca who were seeking refuge from Quraysh persecution by traveling to Aksum, which was at time a Christian Kingdom. In Islamic history, the journey is known as the first hijra. Read more here

Church burglarized, but police not called because of false alarms

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An inside motion alarm went off at a Dayton church early Friday morning, but the church administrator ignored the notification because of previous false alarms that resulted in fines.

This time the motion sensor had picked up the movements of a burglar inside the Debre Hail Kidus Gebriel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, 300 Maryland St., according to the Dayton police report.

Someone had used a large rock to break glass and gain entry. Once inside, the burglar grabbed a 42-inch Samsung flatscreen television and fled, according to the report.

The victim told officers he didn’t think to call police when the alarm went off because the church had been previously fined nearly $1,000 for false alarms that police were called to check, according to the report.

An evidence crew processed the scene. No arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon. Read more here

BROTHER AUGUSTINE NICOLETTI, FSC APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF ETHIOPIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

After 13 years at Manhattan College, Brother Augustine will lead the Ethiopian Catholic University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Brother Augustine Nicoletti, FSC, a member of the Manhattan College faculty since 2004, has been appointed to serve as president of the Ethiopian Catholic University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

“Given the quality of his experiences, his intellectual and administrative abilities and his deep commitment to his vocation as a Brother of the Christian Schools, I am confident that Br. Augustine will lead and develop the Ethiopian Catholic University as it becomes a sign of Christian hope and a center of human and Christian tertiary education for the people of Africa,” said Brother Robert Schieler, FSC, Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.

Most recently an associate professor of education at Manhattan College, Br. Augustine served as associate dean at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota from 2001-04, where he also taught education courses. Prior to that, he was principal at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, N.Y. (1999-2001) and associate principal for student affairs (1996-99) and director of guidance at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, N.J. from 1994-96.

From 1992-94, Br. Augustine served as campus minister and teacher at Seton-La Salle High School and director of counseling services at St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C. (1988-91). From 1984-88, he was involved in food sales and marketing in the Philadelphia area. Br. Augustine has also taught at many New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania high schools throughout his career. He was awarded the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award at Seton LaSalle High School in 1993 and a Top Educator Award from the University of Pittsburgh.

Br. Augustine's role continues a partnership Manhattan College has established with the Ethiopian Catholic University. In 2016, Ghislaine Mayer, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, Gwendolyn Tedeschi, Ph.D., associate professor of economics and finance, Kevin Gschwend, study abroad coordinator, and Brother Jack Curran, FSC, PhD, Vice President for Mission, visited Addis Ababa to explore study abroad and research initiatives, seeking to build collaborative relationships with the Ethiopian Catholic University, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the United States Aid for International Development (USAID), and a number of Lasallian ministries in Ethiopia. Read more here

በቁሉቢ ገብርኤል ይፈጸማል የተባለው “ኃይለኛ ሙስና” ተጣርቶ እርምጃ እንዲወሰድ ተጠየቀ

• በኹለቱ ዓመታዊ ክብረ በዓላት፣ ከ23   ሚ. ብር በላይ የስዕለት ገቢ ተሰብስቧል
• ማሠልጠኛዎች እንዲገነቡና የማኅበራዊ ልማት ተሳትፎው እንዲጠናከር ተጠይቋል 

  በቁሉቢ ደብረ ኃይል ቅዱስ ገብርኤል ገዳም ውስጥ፣ እየተፈጸመ ነው በሚል ከምእመናን በተደጋጋሚ የቀረበው የሙስና  አቤቱታ፣ ተጣርቶ አስፈላጊው ርምጃ እንዲወሰድ፣ የምሥራቅ ሐረርጌ ዞን መስተዳደር ጽ/ቤት አሳሰበ፡፡ የመስተዳድሩ ጽ/ቤት ማሳሰቢያውን ያቀረበው፣ ባለፈው ወር መጀመሪያ ለፓትርያርኩ ቢሮ በጻፈው ደብዳቤ ነው፡፡ በዞኑ ሜታ ወረዳ ቁሉቢ ከተማ በሚገኘው የደብረ ኃይል ቅዱስ ገብርኤል ገዳም ውስጥ፣ “ኃይለኛ ሙስና እየተፈጸመ” መሆኑን በመጥቀስ ጉዳዩ እንዲጣራ የአጥቢያው ምእመናን ለቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ ጥያቄ ሲያቀርቡ፣ ለመስተዳድሩም በግልባጭ አስታውቀው እንደነበር ጽ/ቤቱ አስታውሷል፡፡

አቤቱታውን ለማጣራት፣ ከገዳሙ አስተዳደርም ይኹን ከምሥራቅ ሐረርጌ ሀገረ ስብከት ምንም ዓይነት እንቅስቃሴ እንዳልተደረገ፣ ከምእመናኑ በድጋሚ መረዳቱን የጠቀሰው የዞኑ መስተዳድር፤ “ለሕዝበ ክርስቲያኑ ክብር አለመስጠትን ያመለክታል፤” ሲል ተችቷል፡፡ 
“ጉዳዩ ወደ ሌላ አቅጣጫ እንዳያመራ”፣ በገዳሙ እየተፈጸመ ነው ስለተባለው ሙስና በቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ አመራር በተገቢው መንገድ ተጣርቶ አስፈላጊው እርምጃ እንዲወሰድና ለሕዝበ ክርስቲያኑ እንዲገለጽ የፓትርያርኩን ቢሮ ጠይቋል፡፡ ጉዳዩ፣ በመንግሥት ደረጃ የፓትርያርኩ ቢሮ እስኪጠየቅ ድረስ ቸል መባሉ፣ በእጅጉ ቅር እንዳሰኛቸው የገለጹት የአጥቢያው ምእመናን፤ በአካባቢው በገዳሙ የተከናወነ ተጠቃሽ ማኅበራዊ ልማት አለመኖሩን፤ የአገልጋዮች ደመወዝ የገቢውን ያኽል አለመሻሻሉንና 
ካህናቱ ከሚያሳዩት ትጋት ውጭ መንፈሳዊ አገልግሎቱን ለማጠናከር በአስተዳደሩ የሚደረገው ጥረት እዚህ ግባ የማይባል መኾኑን አስረድተዋል፡፡በየዓመቱ ታኅሣሥ 19 እና ሐምሌ 19 ቀን ለገዳሙ በስዕለት ከሚገባው ጥሬ ገንዘብና የተለያዩ ዓይነት ንዋያተ ቅድሳት ውጭ ባሉት ወርኃዊ በዓላትም ከፍተኛ ገቢ እንደሚገኝ ምእመናኑ ይናገራሉ፡፡ የኹለቱ ዓመታዊ ክብረ በዓላት ገቢ በጠቅላይ ቤተ ክህነት ጽ/ቤትና በዞኑ መስተዳድር አካላት ጥብቅ ቁጥጥር የሚደረግበትን ያኽል በሌሎቹም ወራት አለመደረጉ ለከፍተኛ ሙስና አጋልጦታል የሚሉት ምዕመናኑ፤ የጸበል ቦታው በብዙ መቶሺዎች እንዲታወቅ፣ ማረፊያዎችንና መጸዳጃዎችን ምቹ ማድረጉ እንኳ ትኩረት አልተሰጠውም፤ ሲሉ ቅሬታቸውን ይገልፃሉ፡፡የገዳሙ አስተዳዳሪ መልአከ ኃይል አባ ወልደ ጊዮርጊስ በበኩላቸው፤ የዞኑን ጥያቄ በተመለከተ ከጠቅላይ ቤተ ክህነቱ ጋር 
መወያየታቸውንና የተሰጠውን ምላሽም ትላንት ለመስተዳድሩ ማድረሳቸውን ለአዲስ አድማስ ተናግረዋል። “ጉዳዩ መታየት ያለበት በጠቅላይ ቤተ ክህነቱ ነው፤” ያሉት አስተዳዳሪው፣ የሙስና አቤቱታ አቅርበዋል የተባሉት ሰዎች ራሳቸው፣ በወንጀል 
የሚፈለጉ መኾናቸውን ጠቅሰው፣ ለሕግ እንዲቀርቡ ጠይቀናል፤ ብለዋል፡፡

የገዳሙ ሒሳብ ሹሙ ወ/ሪት ወይንሸት ግርማም፣ አቤቱታ አቅራቢዎቹ ማንነታቸውን አለመግለጻቸውን ጠቅሰው፣ አቤቱታ የቀረቡባቸውን ጥያቄዎች ከሀገረ ስብከቱ ጋር ለመንበረ ፓትርያርክ ጠቅላይ ቤተ ክህነቱ በአካል አቅርበን በደብዳቤ የተሰጠውን ምላሽ ደግሞ፤ አዲስ አበባ ለሚገኘው ክልላዊ ቢሮና ለዞኑ ጽ/ቤት መስጠታቸውን አስረድተዋል፡፡

“ገዳሙ፣ በገቢረ ተኣምራቱ ያለውን ታዋቂነትና የገቢ መጠኑን ያኽል፣ መንፈሳዊ አገልግሎቱን ለከተማው ምእመናን ተደራሽ በኾነ አኳኋን እንዲያስፋፋ፤ ቀድሞም የነበሩት የካህናት ማሠልጠኛና የአብነት ት/ቤቶች በተደራጀ መልኩ እንዲከፈቱ፤ እንደ ድሬዳዋና ሐረር ባሉት ከተሞች ተጨማሪ ገቢ የሚያስገኙ የራስ አገዝ ግንባታዎችን በማካሔድ ማኅበረሰባዊ አገልግሎቱን የሚያጠናክርበት አቅም እንዲፈጥር” ጠቁመዋል ምዕመናኑ፡፡ ለዚኽም ገዳሙ፣ “ለረጅም ጊዜ ከቆዩት ሓላፊዎች ይልቅ፡- ሙስናን የሚጸየፉ፣ የተማሩና የነቁ አገልጋዮች” እንደሚያስፈልጉት ጠቁመዋል፡፡በዓመት ኹለት ጊዜ ለሚከበረው የቅዱስ ገብርኤል ክብረ በዓል፣ ከሀገር ውስጥና ከውጭ ወደ ገዳሙ ከሚጓዙ ተሳላሚዎች፣ ከ23 ሚሊዮን 587 ሺሕ ብር በላይ በስዕለት መግባቱን የሐምሌ 19 ቀን 2007 እና የታኅሣሥ 19 ቀን 2008 ዓ.ም. የጠቅላይ ቤተ ክህነቱ ሪፖርት ያመለክታል፡፡ ይኸው ገቢ በጠቅላይ ጽ/ቤቱ የበጀት ዕቅድ እየወጣለት፥ ለቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ የነገረ መለኰት ኮሌጆች፣ ለአብነት መምህራን፣ ለሰባክያነ ወንጌልና ለሠራተኞች ደመወዝ የሚከፈል ሲሆን የሙከራ ሥርጭት እያካሔደ ለሚገኘው የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ቴሌቭዥን ጣቢያ የ9 ሚሊዮን ብር አስተዋፅኦ ማድረጉም በሪፖርቱ ተገልጿል። በስዕለት የሚሰበሰቡትን የተለያዩ ዓይነት ንዋያተ ቅድሳት፣ ዋጋ አጥንቶና ተማኝ ኮሚቴ አቋቁሞ የሚያሰራጭ የማደራጃ መምሪያ፣ በጠቅላይ ቤተ ክህነቱ የተቋቋመ ሲኾን፤ ተጨማሪ ገቢ ማስገኛ ሕንፃ ለማሠራትም ዕቅድ መያዙን በሪፖርቱ አስታውቋል፡፡  Read more here

Gada System inscribed in UNESCO as Intangible World Heritage

(EBC; November 30, 2016)- United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed Gada System as Intangible World Heritage in its 11th intangible world heritage meeting being held in Addis Ababa.

Inscribing Gada system will provide opportunity to share the best experience of the ancient democratic socio-political system, Chairperson of the 11th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage Yonas Desta had told the media on Monday.

"The Gada system, I think, is a great nomination really", UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Francesco Bandarin said.

The Gada System has five parties, and each party can lead only for eight years duration. The five parties lead in their order for eight years each, and it is not allowed for given party to lead for over eight years.

A given party can lead again only after 40 years.

The Gada System is and indigenous, democratic system with which the Oromo People have been governing themselves in a democratic way before centuries. Read more here

Ethiopian Airlines and the Ethiopian Tourism Organisation Outlined Plans

Ethiopian Airlines and the Ethiopian Tourism Organisation outlined their current achievements and future plans for Ethiopia as a major African tourism destination during a press conference held at World Travel Market on Tuesday 8th November 2016.

Speakers, including His Excellency Ambassador Hailemichael Afework Aberra, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam and CEO of Ethiopian Tourism Organisation Mr. Solomon Tadesse addressed a large audience of international journalists and tour operators all keen to learn of future plans for tourism in this remarkable country offering so much in terms of history, culture, ethnic diversity, wildlife, stunning varied landscapes and adventure.

During the conference speakers were united in their belief that the current FCO advisory would be lifted in the very near future, especially in light of the lifting of travel restrictions on diplomats, and that it is very much business as usual. Mr. Tewolde emphasised that having invested over the last 25 years in strengthening the infrastructure of Ethiopia the time is now right for tourism to take centre stage and to showcase their magnificent nation and reputation for outstanding natural hospitality to visitors from all over the world. “Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline in Africa now flies to 95 destinations across 5 continents giving tourists, investors and trading partners the opportunity to benefit from our routes and hospitality. We now offer 20 airports of global standard across Ethiopia servicing 25,000 hotel rooms a day and with 4 US flights, 13 European flights and 4 China direct flights into Addis we are very much up and running and ready to offer a peaceful welcome to the world.”

Mr. Solomon went on to add that with 20 airports in place, a road network established, electrification of the whole country complete and portable water available throughout, Ethiopia’s infrastructure is in place and ready to see its tourism industry flourish. “As our new branding highlights Ethiopia is truly the ‘’Land of Origins’’ in terms of history, culture and adventure, we are currently undertaking a 5 year strategy to develop and market the country with the aim of establishing Ethiopia among the top five tourist destinations in Africa by 2025. Together with Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's fastest growing airline, we will work together to really put Ethiopia on the world tourism stage.”

Source: Ethiopian Airlines Press Release