Ethiopia Country
Discover all the culture from the African country, Ethiopia
Some facts before we start...
Official language is Amharic
The president is Mulatu Teshome
Most populous landlocked country in the world
Language
English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is the medium of instruction in secondary schools. Amharic was the language of primary school instruction, but has been replaced in many areas by regional languages.
Amharic is recognized as the official working language of its Federal Government.
Ethiopian Holidays and Festivals
Some of the festivals are:
Timkast Feats of the Epiphany, January 19:This is an extremely colourful three-day festival commemorating the baptism of Christ
Buhe, August 21:Bands of small boys call at each house, singing and jostling until they are given some fresh dough (buhe), that is being prepared for baking. In the evening, bonfires are lit outside each home.
Enkutatash, September 11: This festival celebrates both the New Year and the Feast of John the Baptist at the end of the long rains in Spring, when the Highlands become covered in wild flowers.
Kullubi- Feast of St Gabriel, December 28: St Gabriel is the Patron Saint who guards over homes and churches. There is a huge pilgrimage to St Gabriel's Church on Kulubi hill, which is on the route from Addis Ababa eastwards, about 70 kilometres before Dire Dawa. Many pilgrims carry heavy burdens as penance, children are brought to be baptized, and offerings are made to be distributed to the poor.
Some of the holidays are:
New Years Day
(Julian Calendar) 1January
Genna
Ethiopian Christmas: birth of Christ) 7 January
Adwa Day
(commemorates the victory by Menelik II over Italy in 1896) 2 March
Patriots' Day
(celebrates end of Italian occupation in 1941) 6 April
International Labour Day
1 May
Ethiopian Good Friday
May (variable)
Fasika
(Ethiopian Easter Sunday) May (variable)
Idd al Fitr
(end of month of fasting for Ramadan) May (variable)
Idd al Adha
August (variable)
Cultural Aspects
Cuisine
Music
Sports
Facts you may not know about Ethiopia
- The area of Ethiopia is 1,104,300 sq. km, which makes it approximately as big as France and Spain combined. Thats pretty amazing
- The capital of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa, which means "new flower" in Amharic. Yeeyy now I know a new word in Amharic, and the first one also
- There are more than 80 different ethnic groups in Ethiopia with just as many languages and over 200 dialects are spoken throughout the country.
- Ethiopia is the only country in Africa with its own unique script.
- Cofee was discovered here, in the region of Kaffa, so we chould that Ethiopia for this beautiful gift that makes our Mondays better.
- There are 924 species of birds found in Ethiopia, making Ethiopia a bird-watchers paradise.