Christmas in Ethiopia (2024)

FAQs

What do you say on Ethiopian Christmas? ›

Happy/Merry Christmas in Amharic is 'Melikam Gena!' (መልካም ገና!).

Overview. Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated on 7 January (Tahsas 29 in the Ethiopian calendar) as the day of Jesus' birth, alongside the Russian, Greek, Eritrean and Serbian Orthodox Churches. It is also celebrated by Protestant and Catholic denominations in the country.

The Ethiopian Calendar, also called “Ge'ez,” is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian Calendar. The main reason for this difference is that the Ethiopian Calendar places Jesus' birth in 7 BC (Before Christ) and begins its count from that point.

The Ethiopian Christmas celebrations — also known as Ganna — are slightly different than those in the West. Ganna is a religious holiday, and gift-giving or Santa Claus does not play a role.

"MELKAM GENA" it means merry Christmas!

Meskel (Finding of the True Cross) (27th September)

Meskel is one of the biggest religious festivals among Ethiopian Orthodox followers that commemorates a fourth century event where Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, discovered the True Cross on which Christ was crucified.

Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January on the Gregorian calendar, or the 29th of Tahsas on the Ethiopian calendar. In the run up to Christmas, practitioners are expected to partake in a 43-day fast known as Tsome Nebiyat or the 'Fast of the Prophets'.

In Christianity, the Nativity Fast—or Fast of the Prophets in Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church—is a period of abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and Catholic Church in preparation for the Nativity of Jesus on December 25.

Gift-giving is not a big part of Christmas. Family members may give small gifts. People told us that only families with lots of money talk about Santa Claus or Father Christmas. On Christmas Day, called ganna in Amharic, men and boys may play a game similar to hockey, using a wooden ball and a curved stick.

Religion in Ethiopia consists of a number of faiths. Among these mainly Abrahamic religions, the most numerous is Christianity (Ethiopian Orthodoxy, P'ent'ay, Roman Catholic) totaling at 67.3%, followed by Islam at 31.3%. There is also a longstanding but small Ethiopian Jewish community.

Is Ethiopia the oldest country in the world? ›

Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. What are believed to be the oldest remains of a human ancestor ever found, which have been dated as being some five million years old, were discovered in the Awash Valley in Ethiopia.

While the first 12 months have 30 days, the last month, called Pagume, has five days and six days in a leap year.

Based upon the ancient Coptic Calendar, the Ethiopian Calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian Calendar, owing to alternate calculations in determining the date of the annunciation of the birth of Jesus.

Ethiopia has a 13-month calendar. While most of the world is living in the year 2022, Ethiopians rang in 2015 in September. Sounds delusional to you? Well, not to Ethiopians!

Melkam Gena! Best wishes for Ethiopian Christmas!

Happy New Year from Ethiopia!

Melkam Gena means "Merry Christmas" in Amharic, Ethiopia's national language) In Ethiopia, Christmas is. called 'Gena' and it means 'a day of glory'.

Traditional greeting in Ethiopia ... You shake hands then you tap your shoulders together two or three times.