Ethiopian Easter
Ethiopian Easter, which takes place in Orthodox Churches throughout the country, tends to fall after Easter in the western calendar. It is a more important festival than Christmas, since death is more important than birth in Orthodox Christianity.
Easter Friday is a day of preparation and church-going. People go and prostrate themselves in church, up and down, up and down... 101 times! The main religious mass takes place on Saturday night, a sombre, sacred occasion with music and dancing until the early hours of the morning. At 3am, everyone returns home to break their fast and a chicken is slaughtered at midnight for the symbolic occasion.
In the morning, after a rest, a sheep is slaughtered to commence the feasting on Easter Sunday. A day when people really let go, there is a release of enjoyment after the long build-up of suffering which has taken place. People often overdose on food and locally brewed alcohol (tej, tella and katikalla).
| Country Information: | Ethiopia |
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| Full Name: | Ethiopia |
| Ethiopia, the oldest independent nation in Africa, is a land of stunning natural beauty, covering an area twice the size of Kenya, France or Texas. A rich diversity of culture and geography, it is a land of rugged mountains (some 25 are over 4000m high), broad savannah, lakes and rivers, and boasts over 80 different languages and as many cultures. | |
| Directions: | Ethiopia is situated in North Eastern Africa bordering Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya to the south.
By Air: Domestic flights are probably the best way of getting round the country, with good services offered by Ethiopian Airlines between all the major cities. By Train: there is only one route running from Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa and conditions can be overcrowded. By Bus: the bus service is run by the government and is extremely slow and unreliable. Fuel shortages often mean there is no form of public transport available and this will also have an affect on those who want to hitch. |
| Name: | Ethiopian Commission of Tourism |
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| Location: | Ethiopia |
| Address: | Ras Mekonin Ave, PO Box 2183, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Phone: | +251 (0) 1 517 470 |
| Fax: | +251 (0) 1 513 899 |
