Feature: Ethiopians celebrate traditional New Year

Ethiopians on Sunday celebrate their New Year, and according to the calendar of the East African country, it is the year 2009.

The New Year in Ethiopia falls at a time when the heavy rain ceases and the sun shines on the green lands with also flowers, yellow daisies in the hills and meadows of the country.

Ethiopian New Year celebration is also known as "Enkutatash," meaning "gift of jewels" in Amharic language, which originally derives from the story of the Queen of Sheba returning from visiting King Solomon in Jerusalem, according to a legend.

And upon arrival at home, the Queen was greeted by her Ethiopians with enku, jewels.

Ethiopian New Year/Enkutatash is a very festive occasion marked by dancing and singing across the green countryside, budding with spring flowers, and in cities as well with people enjoying foods and drinks prepared for the joyful holiday.

While celebrating the holiday, Ethiopians wear traditional costumes and enjoy special foods and drinks, exchange greetings of the New Year occasion.

The celebrations, in fact, start on the eve, whereby Ethiopian families lit wooden torches at household level.

On the occasion of the New Year, families gather around a meal table for a traditional food and drinks, the food which is injera (wide flat bread) and Doro Wot (chicken stew) with other variety of foods.

At households, "Tella" (home-made beer) and "Tej/Birzz" (honey wine) are served for drinks.

A traditional coffee ceremony is accompanied by a cutting/breaking by head of the family of special big bread called "Diffo" prepared for the holiday. A woman in traditional dress serves the coffee ceremony.

Freshly collected long grasses are spread on the floors of residential houses.

Sheep are slaughtered at household levels; and there is also a custom whereby neighboring families in group of six or eight buy a big ox and slaughter it at a common place to share the meat, and this is known by "Qircha" meaning "sharing" in Amharic language.

The celebration goes on the whole day with eating and drinking as well as singing and dancing, and of course visiting friends and relatives.

Girls donning traditional dresses (most often new ones), and with bouquet of yellow daisies go from home to home singing New Year's song, saying "Abebayehu", meaning "I have seen flowers" declaring the change of the season, and that the land is covered by green and flowers.

Boys in their new clothes appear at neighbors and relatives homes with gifts of paints which they made on their own at homes, and in return, heads families give the boys money.

The girls often receive a small gift in return of their singing; and young boys paint pictures of saints to give away and also receive a small token in return. The day of festivities winds down with families visiting friends and sharing a drink of "Tella," Ethiopian home-made beer, and "Tej", honey wine, while children go out and spend their newly received riches.

The Ethiopian calendar has thirteen months each with its own name, and twelve months, each has 30 days, and the thirteenth month called Pagumen has five days, and six in leap year. Endit