ENKUTATASH ETHIOPIAN NEW YEAR

TIME AND DATES IN ETHIOPIA

Enkutatash or Ithiopian (Ethiopian) New Year is celebrated on September 11th according to the Western or Gregorian calendar. Ithiopia still follows the Orthodox Julian calendar which consists of 12 months of 30 days and a 13th month, Pagume, of five or six days, depending on whether or not it is a leap year. The Ithiopian calendar is seven years and eight months behind the Gregorian calendar, so September 2012 is Meskerem 2005 in  Ithiopia.

The way Ithiopians measure time is also different from the West. The clock starts at 6am western time and runs until 6pm. Therefore 8o’clock in western time would be 2o’clock Ithiopian time. Because Ithiopia is close to the Equator the sun rises at around 00.30 Ithiopian time and sets at around 12.45 in the evening (6.45 western equivalent) all year round. Ithiopia is 3 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).

The years run in a four year cycle bearing the names of the Gospels with the year of John or Yohannes being the leap year.

Meskerem : 11th September

Tikimt : 11th October

Hidar : 10th November

Tahsas : 10th December

Tir : 9th January

Yakatit : 8th February

Maggabit : 10th March

Miyazya : 9th April

Ginbot : 9th May

Sene : 8th June

Hamle : 8th July

Nehasa : 7th August

Pagume : 7th September

Enkutatash is an important festival in the lives of Ithiopians. After three months of heavy rains the sun comes out creating a beautiful clear fresh atmosphere. The highland fields turn to gold as the Meskal daisies burst into flower. When Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, returned to Ithiopia after her famous visit to King Solomon, her chiefs welcomed her forward by giving her “enku” or jewels. Enkutatash which means “gift of jewels”‘ has been celebrated ever since in spring. Meskerem is seen as a month of transition from the old year to the new. It is a time to express hopes and dreams for the future.

ORTHODOX ENKUTATASH CELEBRATIONS

The largest religious celebration is in the 14th-century Kostete Yohannes church in the city of Gaynt in the Gondar Region. For 3 days the sounds of psalms, sermons, prayers and hymns can be heard as colourful processions welcome the New Year. There is a large celebration nearer to Addis Abeba, the capital, at the Ragual Church on Entoto mountain.

ENKUTATASH CUSTOMS

On New Year’s Eve, torches of dry leaves and wood bundled in the form of tall and thick sticks are also set on fire in front of houses as the young and old sing. Early in the morning everybody goes to Church wearing traditional Ethiopian clothing. After Church there is a family meal of Injera (flat bread) and Wat (stew). The girls go from house to house singing New Year songs for money and the boys sell pictures that they have drawn. In the evening families go to visit their friends and drink tella the traditional Ethiopian beer. While the elders discuss their hopes for the New Year the children go and spend the money they have earned.

In more recent times it has also become usual for well-to-do city dwellers to send each other New Year greetings cards instead of the more traditional bunches of flowers.

ETHIOPIAN EASTER

HOLY WEEK

In accordance with the chronology of the Gospel account of the last days of our Lord’s mortal life it is natural that the sacred Triduum of Thursday, Friday and Saturday developed. A special “Holy Week” became established in which all the faithful re-lived and received graces from the fundamental mysterious of redemption.

Palm Sunday or Hosanna is celebrated with proper ceremonies with palm, processions and special services. Then follows Holy Week, the week of Pains, the Himamat. For some, from Thursday afternoon until Easter morning no morsel of food nor a drop of water enters the mouth and three days are known as “Qanona”. The priests neither eat nor drink but remain in the churches singing and praying incessantly. No absolution is given.

MAUNDY THURSDAY is a special day on which in the Mass unleavened bread is used. For those who can, it is spent out of doors. When the fast is broken late in the afternoon no one eats ordinary bread, a mixture of special flour is compounded and boiled. A solemn Mass is celebrated on that day. The ceremony of washing the feet is conducted the same day in imitation of what our Lord did to the twelve Apostles at the Last Supper. All the faithful with clean souls should communicate on Holy Thursday.

GOOD FRIDAY. The solemn liturgical service of Good Friday is attended by thousands of believers. There is a sense of sorrow and desolation. All the symbols, images and instruments used in the passion of the Saviour are publicly exhibited in the church. Men and women go to church to prostrate themselves, remaining there from early morning till 3 p.m. the hour of the death of Jesus Christ. Believers confess their greater and lesser offenses to the confessor or sit reading their Psalter. It is believed that on Good Friday blood fell from Christ on the cross and dripped into the grave of Adam beneath and there rose up from the dead about 500 people; the thief on the left was sent into darkness but the one on the right went before Adam into Paradise. On this Friday the Devil was bound with cords and Christ descending to purgatory (seol) sent forth to paradise all the souls that were in darkness (Seol). Good Friday is a special day for confession.

HOLY SATURDAY is Qidame shur on which the good news went forth. Everyone who fasts passes the day and night in expectation. On this night before Easter many go to the Church and pass the night in making prayers and in prostration on clenched hands. Confession is heard on that day.

EASTER, the feast of feasts, is celebrated with special solemnity. The church is filled with fragrance of incense and myriad’s of lights. The clergy are arrayed in their best vestments. All the people hold lighted tapers. Greetings are exchanged, drums are beaten, hands are clapped and singing is heard everywhere: “our resurrection has come, hosanna.” Men are heard saying “O Lord Christ have mercy upon us.” They pray for a blessing “O God make it to be a festival of our good fortune and of our well being! Let us have another threshing floor and another year if thou wilt.” Letters or messages are exchanged between friends and the whole day is one of spiritual and physical feasting, a commemoration of the holiest occasion of all history – a truly blessed time when Christ rose from the dead.

Edited by Aymero W and Joachim M., The Ethiopian Orthodox Church, published by the Ethiopian Orthodox mission, Addis Ababa 1970.

GENNA ETHIOPIAN CHRISTMAS

The Ithiopian Calendar is seven years behind the Gregorian Calendar now used in the west.  Ethiopia, having never been colonised, still uses the Julian Calendar. The year is divided into 12 months of 30 days each, and a 13th month of five days (six days every leap year).

Ithiopian Christmas day is on January 7th of the Gregorian Calendar or Tahsas 29th of the Ithiopian Calendar. This is the date that Christmas was originally celebrated and still is in most Orthodox Christian troditions.

Ithiopian names for Christmas are Liddet, Genna and also Qiddus Bala Wald.

Lidet is preceded by a fast of 40 days. There are many fast days in the Orthodox Christian Calendar. Christians fast every Wednesday and Friday all year round. On fast days Ethiopians eat only one meal in the evening. This must not contain meat or dairy foods. Sometimes fish is also avoided.

After a large meal on Christmas Eve, Ithiopian Christians go to Church and spend the night praying. Modern Churches are designed in three concentric circles. Men and boys sit separately from women and girls. The choir sings from the outside circle. As the people enter the church they are given candles which are then lit. Everyone then walks around the church three times. The congregation remain standing for Mass which can last up to three hours.

Food eaten at Christmas is the standard Ithiopian menu of injera, a pancake like bread made from a local grain called tef, and wat, a spicy stew. The injera is used to scoop up the wat. The meal is served in beautifully decorated baskets.

Only the children receive presents. This is usually something simple such as clothes. Children also play a game at this time of year called Genna. It  is similar to hockey.

THE CORONATION OF EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE I AND EMPRESS MENEN

The preparations for the coronation ceremony of Emperor Haile Sellassie I and Empress Menen Asfaw were quite elaborate. According to the National Geographic Magazine of June 1931, several streets in the capital were asphalted for the occasion, electric lights were installed, and eucalyptus fences were constructed to hide round “tukul” huts. Arches were erected along the route that the Emperor and Empress were to take, and flags and bunting were strung up for the celebration.

The police and Imperial Bodyguard were transformed with new khaki uniforms. A triangular coronation monument was erected to commemorate Emperor Haile Sellassie I, whose name translated means Power of the Trinity. The upcoming grand coronation would have provided an opportunity for many relatives of both Menen and Tafari to journey to Addis Ababa. This would have been a busy time for the imminent Empress, as she ensured that her visitors were comfortably accommodated. There were several photographs of the immediate and extended family taken at this time by Armenian court photographers, Haigaz and Tony Boyadjians.

To provide seating for 700 guests, a large auditorium was constructed on the western side of St. George’s Church. Inside, two thrones were placed one third of the way into the hall and some distance apart. His Majesty’s throne was decorated in red and gold, while Her Majesty’s was decorated in blue and gold. For seven days and nights prior to the coronation ceremony, forty-nine bishops and priests in groups of seven chanted the nine Psalms of David at seven stations around St. George‘s Church.

On Tikimt 22, 1923 (November 1, 1930), the day before his coronation, Ras Tafari, in a lengthy speech, paid tribute to the deceased Emperor Menelik II. In the circle in front of St. George’s Church, the visiting Duke of Gloucester of Britain unveiled a gilded statue of Emperor Menelik II riding a horse. On that same day, at midnight, the future Emperor, Empress, family members and nobles attended a church service at St. George‘s for devotional prayer. On the following morning, Tikimt 23, 1923 (November 2, 1930), at 7:00 AM the foreign guests arrived, many accompanied by Ethiopian nobility, and were seated in the church.

Coronation of Emperor Haile Sellassie I

At 7:30 AM on Tikimt 23, 1923 (November 2, 1930), Their Majesties, dressed in white silken communion robes, emerged from the church behind the incense bearers. Once the Emperor was seated on his throne in the temporary auditorium, the silence was broken by His Holiness Abuna Kyrilos, who proclaimed, “Ye princes and ministers, ye nobles and chiefs of the army, ye soldiers and people of Ethiopia, and ye doctors and chiefs of the clergy, ye professors and priests, look ye upon our Emperor Haile Sellassie the First, descended from the dynasty of Menelik the First, who was born of Solomon and of the Queen of Sheba, a dynasty perpetuated without interruption from that time to King Sehale Sellassie and to our times.”

The Emperor then gave his sacred vow to uphold the Orthodox religion, to uphold and administer the laws of the land for the betterment of the Ethiopian people, to maintain the integrity of Ethiopia, and to found schools for developing the spiritual and material welfare of his subjects. In a ceremony lasting five hours, Emperor Haile Sellassie I was covered in gold-embroidered scarlet vestments, and was then presented with a gold sword studded with precious stones and an imperial scepter made of gold and ivory. In addition, a golden globe of the world, a diamond-encrusted ring, and two traditional lances filigreed in gold were bestowed upon His Majesty. With each of these presentations, an anointment of sacred oil was made to the imperial head, brow, and shoulders. The magnificent crown, made of gold and encrusted with diamonds and emeralds, was then placed upon his head and Abuna Kyrilos proclaimed, “That God may make this crown a crown of sanctity and glory. That by the grace and the blessing, which we have given you, may you have an unshaken faith and a pure heart, in order that you may inherit the crown eternal. So be it.”

The new Emperor’s fourteen-year-old son Asfa Wossen then bowed down before his father, pledging his support, as he became the Crown Prince. The Emperor’s second son, six-year-old Prince Mekonnen then paid his respects to his father. The national anthem was played while 101 cannons roared and thousands of loyal subjects surrounding the church cheered in admiration.

Coronation of Empress Menen

After the ceremony for the Emperor, the Empress entered with her attendants to take her throne. Perhaps her attendants were her daughters, seventeen-year-oldTenagne Work and thirteen-year-old Zenebework. The following reading from thePsalms of David (Psalms 45:9-11) was made as a prayer.“Kings’ daughters were among thy honorable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.”

The Empress was presented with a ring encrusted with diamonds, and then the red and gold coronation robes were placed upon her. The new Emperor received the Empress’s crown from the Archbishop and spoke the following words about his Empress, “As I, with the will of God, have received this crown from your Holiness, I request the Empress to receive this crown and partake in the honor with me. Therefore, I request your Holiness to put the crown on Empress Menen.”

Abuna Kyrilos took the crown from the Emperor and placed it on the Empress’s head as he made a prayer that the crown be one of knowledge and wisdom, sympathy and goodness. In accordance with this prayer, Empress Menen used her crown to serve the people and to help the poor. After receiving her crown, the Empress went to bow before the Emperor and returned to sit on her throne. Again the anthem was played, the cannons roared and the multitude of women outside the church ululated in appreciation for Empress Menen.

The newly crowned Emperor and Empress then took a grand tour around the inside of St. George’s Church, escorted by bishops and priests, their children, high dignitaries, assistants and others all carrying palm branches and chanting, “Blessed be the King of Israel.” After this, Their Majesties removed their crowns and royal vestments to attend mass inside St. George’s Church in their traditional white silken clothing. Later they donned their regal robes and crowns once more in order to present themselves to the waiting multitude outside before entering a coach drawn by six bay horses, which conveyed them to the Imperial Palace for a state dinner.

On that day, silver medallions bearing the likeness of the new Emperor and Empress were presented to their honorary guests. In attendance were the Duke of Gloucester as envoy of the King of England, the Prince of Udine representing Italy, Marshal Franchet d’Esperey of France, and emissaries from Belgium, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and the United States. European nobles and ministers present on the occasion expressed their appreciation for the loveliness of Empress Menen. It is interesting to note that the thirty-nine-year-old Empress was more than five months pregnant with her last son when the lengthy coronation events took place.

The Biography Of Empress Menen, The Mother Of The Ethiopian Nation

BIO

Ras Dawa, whos real name is David Christian Michael, describes his music as follows, "music is love and love is LIFE". A career started in 1998, as a live act, and later on as a international recording artiste in 2010 when he was recruited by Brown2Music Records, a Jamaican Independent Label where he released his first album, in 2015, entitled I&I&I, a collection of 26 tracks from roots and culture to dub, new roots and dancehall. The spiritual but realistic approach of social matters from the past and present leaves no room for compromise. Turn up Jah Thunder !