Land of Faith - Ethiopia

It starts at the break of dawn, Orthodox chanting mixed with Islamic calls to prayer and continues through out the day in greetings, commonly used phrases, and outward actions. In the evening chanting and calls can be heard again, echoing through the valleys and emptying streets. Religion isn't just part of Ethiopian life it is the pulse of the culture.

According to a 2007 census the religious breakdown of Ethiopia is 62.8% Chrsitian (43.5% Ethiopian Orthodox, 19.3% other), 33.9% Islam, 2.6% Traditional and 0.6% other. In short everyone is religious, or at least claims to be. Because to deny your family's religion is to be cast out, and to deny all religion is just unheard of.

Ethiopian Orthodox:

The Ethiopian Orthodox religion is the most widely practiced and oldest religion in Ethiopia, dating back to the 4th century in northern and central Ethiopia. The religion is believed to have begun in Axum and to this day the Ark of the Covenant is said to be held there in the church, Our Lady Mary of Zion. The Ark is thought to have been brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I, son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon around 900 BC. However, it was not brought for religious purposes (as they were following a ancient traditional religion at the time), but as a treasure for the empire.

Later, when King Ezanas converted the Axumite Empire to Christianity, the Ark rose to the importance it holds today. Only one priest (he serves for life) is allowed into the building where the Ark is located so no one can confirm that the Ark is truly there. It is, however, an indisputable fact for most Christians in Ethiopia. Church services are held each day but differ in time depending on the fasting schedule. All religious text is historically written in Ge'ez, an ancient language which not many people other than learned priests, deacons and some studied families can read or understand.

Morning services are usually conducted in Ge'ez but special sermons, such as those given on religious holidays, are typically done in the local language. During the service, the priest enters into the inner-sanctum (Maqdes) of the circular or octagonal church where the 'Tabot' or Ark of the dedicated patron saint is housed. Only priests are allowed into this inner-sanctum and the Tabot is only removed from the church on important religious holidays. The Tabot is a replica of the Ark of the Covenant and is considered the most sacred possession of the church. Only those who are pure, have fasted regularly, are not menstruating, and have not had sex recently are even allowed into the chamber of the church called the Keddist, where the priests can be seen entering the inner sanctum. The rest of the church is divided into three sections by curtains. In the section located towards the west followers called Debteras sing hymns and praise God with the aid of drums, prayer-sticks, and sistrums ('metal rattles'); the other two sections are divided for males and females. There are three doors for the church that face north, south, and east. Two doors are used exclusively by men and one is reserved for the women, although the men may still use this door. Shoes are always removed before entering. During most services, church goers sit on the porch or on the grounds of the church. This is because they feel unclean in the religious sense, perhaps because they are not recognizing the fast or they have had sex recently (1 to 3 days depending on the church). At the end of each service a celebratory dance called warab is done; deacons will play a large drum called a kebro, 'sing and dance.'

Church services only constitute a small part of Ethiopian Orthodox religious observance. An important religious requirement is the keeping of fasting days. A devout believer will fast for 250 days out of the year but the average Ethiopian recognizes about 180 days of these days each year. Fasting days are every Wednesday and Friday except for the 50 days after Easter. The rest of the days are attached to holidays or specific fasting periods. The largest and most recognized fast here is the Lenten fast which occurs just before Easter. It lasts for 55 days and is broken at 3 a.m. on the Easter morning, often with a spicy doro wat dish. Other important aspects are standard holy days as well as many saint's days. Depending on the region you are in, and which saints are recognized by the local churches, certain saint's days may be recognized while others are not. However, during all standard holy days, extended church services are given along with feasts and celebrations.

An interesting aspect of the Ethiopian Orthodox church which often remains unseen by outsiders is the belief in 'demon spirits' or buda. Often when an ill person has not responded to modern medicine or is performing especially rebellious actions, the person is believed to be possessed by a demon spirit. To heal this person, an exorcism must be performed by the local priests. This is so common that in a research study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2010, 74% of Christians in Ethiopia claimed to have experienced or witnessed an exorcism. Ethiopian Orthodox was considered the state church until the fall of Haile Selassie in 1974.

Ethiopian Protestants:

The other major Christian religion existing in Ethiopia is Protestantism. This religion arrived fairly recently to Ethiopia, having been brought in through missionaries as early as the 19th century, though it did not gain a large following until the end of the 20th century. Protestant missionaries from three major church groups (Mekane Yesus, Sudan Interior Mission, and Mennonite Mission) focused most of their work in the south and western regions of the country, as there was little Orthodox presence in these regions. Even today, the majority of Protestants reside in these areas.

During the time of the Derg regime (1974-1991), Protestantism was outlawed and its followers faced several persecutions, for which there is almost no documentation. However, after the fall of the Derg, the religion was reinstated and the number of followers grew exponentially.

Protestant believers abide by the 66 books of the Bible but seem to focus more on the New Testament since it is there that the lessons from Jesus are described. Their most important doctrine according to a large number of believers is the belief in Jesus Christ as the lord and savior, as it is this belief that will save you in this life and the next. Many sects of the church practice speaking in tongues as a way to become closer to/speak to God and also believe in faith healing and exorcism of demon spirits.

Church services are held weekly on Sundays, typically between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.. Services include sermons in the local language as well as choir songs. The choir songs are modern styled and are sometimes accompanied by a kebro as well as a keyboard. Protestants do not have set fasting days, but instead fast by choice in order to enhance their prayers to God. They do, however, have other religiously prohibited practices such as drinking alcohol and dancing for reasons other than for God. Refraining from these practices is typically reserved for the very devout, but at all religious celebrations and weddings, no alcohol will be served and dancing will not be highlighted. Although the Protestant church and the Ethiopian Orthodox church do hold doctrinal similarities, there are large institutional and social differences. According to the Protestant church, followers should distance themselves from followers of other religions as to keep themselves close to God. Due to this, and the institutional differences, religious followers of the two don't normally form deep relationships and even have separate idirs (social organizations in charge of burials and mourning support).

Islam in Ethiopia

Making up a large portion (34%) of the country's religious followers are those of the Islamic faith, specifically Sunni Muslims for the most part. This religion was brought to Ethiopia in 615 AD when a group of Muslims were counseled by the prophet Mohammed to escape persecution in Mecca by re-settling in Ethiopia. They were then welcomed by the Ethiopian ruler, Ashama Abjar (Arabic name), and were allowed to settle in Negash, a city in the Tigray region. The city of Negash became, and is still today, the historical center of Islam in Ethiopia and parts of East Africa.

The beliefs and practices of the Islam religion are embodied in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The most important religious practices, daily ritual prayers (Salat) and fasting during the holy months of Ramadan are observed by all practicing Muslims in urban as well as rural towns. Before all daily prayers held at sunrise, noon, 4 p.m., sunset, and 9 p.m.—a person is required to thoroughly wash their face, hands, and feet in a ritual way. For prayers, they place a mat on the ground facing Mecca and listen to the call to prayer coming from the local mosque. If a person misses a prayer time, they must do a make-up prayer called a qadda On Fridays, afternoon prayers are extended to two hours and most followers will travel to a mosque for this time. Most government offices will close early on Fridays for this reason.

In cities with significant Muslim populations, you will often see Muslim butchers, restaurants, and a number of khat bets. The reason for this is that it is against the religious doctrines for Muslims to eat Christian meat and vice versa due to prayers which is said before the animal is slaughtered. Many people of the Islamic faith chew khat as a way to stay awake during all night prayers. However, it is not considered an acceptable pastime and is not part of any religious doctrine. Today, the chewing of khat is becoming more common throughout the country regardless of religion.

The most distinguishing trait of Ethiopian Muslims is their style of dress which differs greatly from that of Christian Ethiopians. Muslim men will often wear long tunics, small hats called khoffia, and Muslim scarves sometimes referred to as arafats or imaima. Muslim women are often seen with their heads covered with a scarf. As the Islam faith is beginning to become more conservative in Ethiopia, it is more common to see men with henna dyed beards, women in full or partial burkas (hejabs), and black marks on the head of women and men as a sign of devotion to prayer. Muslims also do not wear shoes in their homes, as it is considered unholy.

Less Predominate Religions in Ethiopia:

Rastafari:

During his reign, Emperor Haile Selassie took a trip to the then-drought ridden Jamaica. As the story is told, once he stepped off the plane, rain began to fall and all the people rejoiced in his amazing power. A small group of people then immigrated to Ethiopia, believing Ethiopia to be Zion, and Haile Selassie (formally known as Ras Tefari) to be their savior or God. The immigrants, now called Rastafarians, were given land just South of Addis Ababa, called Shashemane and a few followers still remain there today.

Jehovah's Witness:

This religion was brought to Ethiopia by western missionaries and has begun to take hold, with a small number followers located mostly in the Oromia region.

Waqaa Faata:

'Waqaa Faata' is the name of a traditional religion/ritual practiced in Oromia. It dates back to the beginning of their known history. Due to the conversion of many Oromos to the Protestant or Orthodox Church, this traditional religion is mostly only celebrated on their holiest day, Irecha.

Ethiopian Catholic Church:

This church is often referred to as the "counterpart" to the Ethiopian Orthodox church as in shares many beliefs and customs while differing in its Christological view, some beliefs about the Sacraments and its recognition of the Pope as the successor of St. Peter and his universal jurisdiction. Followers of the religion are still small in number but Catholic churches can often be found in larger towns in association with missionary organizations.

Visit the most beautiful churches in Ethiopia on our Cultural Adventures.

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