Ethiopia
Christians in Ethiopia are
celebrating Christmas today. The birth of Jesus is a big deal in the
Horn of Africa nation which is steep in religious history dating
centuries back.
The celebration is referred to as Gena. Around this time all Christians unite to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
At Lalibela town for instance, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC)
reports that many of the faithful will gather around the rock-hewn
churches amid the flood of foreign tourists who visit the country at
this time.
Gena or Ledet (7 January), the Ethiopian equivalent to Christmas, is preceded by an all-night vigil following 43 days of fasting that culminate.
Lalibela is a town in northern Ethiopia famous for
monolithic rock-cut churches. It is one of Ethiopia’s holiest cities,
second only to Aksum, and a center of pilgrimage.
Ethiopia’s tourist website wrote about Christmas, ‘‘Gena or
Ledet (7 January), the Ethiopian equivalent to Christmas, is preceded
by an all-night vigil following 43 days of fasting that culminate.
‘‘It is a family-oriented holiday, but in some areas it is
marked by traditional dancing or a hockey-like game called Yegenna
Chewata, supposedly played by the local shepherds on the night Jesus was
born. It is traditional to eat the national dish doro wot (chicken
stew) over Gena.’‘
Many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7.
Among others, those in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, neighbouring Egypt,
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia and Maldova.
Coptic Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on
january 7 according to the Julian calendar that pre-dates the commonly
observed Gregorian calendar.
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