There is no significant festival celebrated in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church during lent, the fasting season before Easter. Dabra Zeit (Mount olive’s Day) is observed half way through lent in commemoration of the miracles performed by Christ at mount olives. This day is celebrated with special consideration at an old church of Sama Senbet, in […]
The festival of Timket falls on Tirr 11(January19) every year. It is observed in commemoration of Jesus Christ’s baptism in River Jordan. The celebration of Timket starts on the eve of the main festival. The eve is known as ’Ketera’ and taken from the Amharic word ‘ketere’ meaning to make a dam; it is usual […]
Among the major feasts which are associated with Jesus and observed by the Ethiopian Orthodox church, the incarnation of nativity, Genna or Ethiopian Christmas is one of the highly celebrated feasts. The annual celebration of Genna on Tahisas 29 (January 7) commemorates the birthday of Christ. It is also the break of the fasting period, […]
The Virgin is one of the most venerated of all religious figures in Ethiopia. About 33 days are annually dedicated to different celebrations in the commemoration of Mary. “Hidar Zion” is associated with the presence of the Ark of the Covenant in Axum and the belief that the Ark itself is a symbolism to Her […]
The Ethiopian calendar registers the New Year on Meskerem (September); first, as a commemoration of the receding of the great storm during the time of Noah and secondly as a remembrance of Kidus Yohannes, (St. John the Baptist) beheading. Hence, the Ethiopian new year is also known as Kidus Yohannes, in memory of the saint […]
Maskal is second in importance only to Timkat and has been celebrated in the country for over 1,600 years. The word actually means “cross” and the feast commemorates the discovery of the Cross–upon which Jesus was crucified–by the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. The original event took place on 19 March, AD […]
Addis Abeba, the capital city of Ethiopia, is at the heart of one of Africa’s most fascinating countries. It is the ideal get way to and from most of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Addis Abeba is an important administrative center not only for Ethiopia but also for the whole of Africa. The […]
Debre Damo found is located west of Adigrat in the Mehakelegnaw Zone of the Region. It is the name of a flat-topped mountain, or amba, and a 6th century monastery in northern Ethiopia. The mountain is raising plateau with about 1000 by 400 meters in dimension. The monastery, accessible only by rope up a sheer […]
Harar is one of Ethiopia’s oldest cities. It was founded in the first half of the 16th century A.D. and lies high in the Ahmar Mountains on the eastern wall of the Great Rift Valley lakes. To the North is the vast Danakil Desert, the cattle rich savanna to the South and on the East […]
Bahirdar is a town set on the south – eastern shore of lake Tana, where local fishermen still use papyrus boats, and just 30 km from the spectacular Tissisat Falls. Here the Blue Nile creates “Smoking Water” an awe-inspiring sight as it plunges into the gorge below. From Bahirdar one must explore some of the […]
