Monday, February 2, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Happy Ganna! Christmas in Ethiopia is TODAY!
The Ethiopian Christmas, known locally as Ganna after a hockey-like game the shepherds played when Jesus was born, usually falls on the old Julian calendar date of 7 January. The celebration has a gently festive air, especially on Christmas Eve in Addis, where people gather to eat, drink and dance.
Christmas is generally not that important in Ethiopia. This is partly because Orthodox Christianity is more centred around Mary than Christ, but most importantly because death is considered more significant than birth, hence Easter is a much larger religious occasion than Christmas. Only very dedicated Christians fast before Christmas, whereas almost all fast before Easter. Many people follow the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian approach. On Christmas Eve, a religious ceremony takes place in all Orthodox Christian churches throughout the Ethiopian highlands. The ceremonies are long and involve the whole congregation. Priests dance sedately, swaying side to side in time with their sistrums (percussion instruments), while young men dance around a drummer, leaping and jumping, achieving an almost trance-like state. The ceremony begins sedately and builds up through the night into a crescendo, the music from the church being heard far and wide until the early hours of the morning. In most towns, Christmas Day itself is largely a family affair, with the occasional game of Ganna being played in the afternoon.
An invitation to a family Christmas is the best way to enjoy the day. If you're lucky enough to be invited, be prepared to eat a feast of delicious specialities and drink homebrew until late in the day.The place to really experience a traditional Ganna is in Lalibela, which was built as Ethiopia's own Jerusalem by King Lalibela in the 12th century. There is therefore a particularly strong connection with Christ here, and pilgrims travel for days to attend colourful ceremonies in all of the 13 rock-hewn churches nested in the hillside. After church though, if possible, buy a goat or some tej (honey wine) and pay a visit to the adopted family you've found!
Christmas Traditions in EthiopiaEthiopia is one of the oldest nations in Africa. It still follows the ancient Julian calendar, so Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. It is a day when families attend church.
On January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat.The day before Ganna, people fast all day. The next morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white. Most Ethiopians don a traditional shamma, a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. The shamma is worn somewhat like a toga. Urban Ethiopians might put on white Western garb. Then everyone goes to the early mass at four o'clock in the morning. In a celebration that takes place several days later, the priests will dress in turbans and red and white robes as they carry beautifully embroidered fringed umbrellas.
Most Ethiopians who live outside the modern capital city, Addis Ababa, live in round mud-plastered houses with cone-shaped roofs of thatched straw. In areas where stone is plentiful, the houses may be rectangular stone houses. The churches in Ethiopia echo the shape of the houses. In many parts of the country there are ancient churches carved out of solid volcanic rock. Modern churches are built in three concentric circles.In a modern church, the choir assembles in the outer circle. Each person entering the church is given a candle. The congregation walks around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the flickering candles. Then they gather in the second circle to stand throughout the long mass, with the men and boys separated from the women and girls. The center circle is the holiest space in the church, where the priest serves Holy Communion.
Christmas is generally not that important in Ethiopia. This is partly because Orthodox Christianity is more centred around Mary than Christ, but most importantly because death is considered more significant than birth, hence Easter is a much larger religious occasion than Christmas. Only very dedicated Christians fast before Christmas, whereas almost all fast before Easter. Many people follow the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian approach. On Christmas Eve, a religious ceremony takes place in all Orthodox Christian churches throughout the Ethiopian highlands. The ceremonies are long and involve the whole congregation. Priests dance sedately, swaying side to side in time with their sistrums (percussion instruments), while young men dance around a drummer, leaping and jumping, achieving an almost trance-like state. The ceremony begins sedately and builds up through the night into a crescendo, the music from the church being heard far and wide until the early hours of the morning. In most towns, Christmas Day itself is largely a family affair, with the occasional game of Ganna being played in the afternoon.
An invitation to a family Christmas is the best way to enjoy the day. If you're lucky enough to be invited, be prepared to eat a feast of delicious specialities and drink homebrew until late in the day.The place to really experience a traditional Ganna is in Lalibela, which was built as Ethiopia's own Jerusalem by King Lalibela in the 12th century. There is therefore a particularly strong connection with Christ here, and pilgrims travel for days to attend colourful ceremonies in all of the 13 rock-hewn churches nested in the hillside. After church though, if possible, buy a goat or some tej (honey wine) and pay a visit to the adopted family you've found!
Christmas Traditions in EthiopiaEthiopia is one of the oldest nations in Africa. It still follows the ancient Julian calendar, so Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. It is a day when families attend church.
On January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat.The day before Ganna, people fast all day. The next morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white. Most Ethiopians don a traditional shamma, a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. The shamma is worn somewhat like a toga. Urban Ethiopians might put on white Western garb. Then everyone goes to the early mass at four o'clock in the morning. In a celebration that takes place several days later, the priests will dress in turbans and red and white robes as they carry beautifully embroidered fringed umbrellas.
Most Ethiopians who live outside the modern capital city, Addis Ababa, live in round mud-plastered houses with cone-shaped roofs of thatched straw. In areas where stone is plentiful, the houses may be rectangular stone houses. The churches in Ethiopia echo the shape of the houses. In many parts of the country there are ancient churches carved out of solid volcanic rock. Modern churches are built in three concentric circles.In a modern church, the choir assembles in the outer circle. Each person entering the church is given a candle. The congregation walks around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the flickering candles. Then they gather in the second circle to stand throughout the long mass, with the men and boys separated from the women and girls. The center circle is the holiest space in the church, where the priest serves Holy Communion.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
A Blessing
This was a blessing used at a friend's ordination service. I share it with all of you!
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. May the peace of God and the God of peace be with you forevermore. AMEN.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Transracial Adoption
I have found many people to be curious about what life will be like for our child and family. People are curious especially since we are adopting a child of color. We know it will not be easy, but we are doing as much as we can to educate ourselves and those closest to us. We just had Thanksgiving with a family member who had adopted children. It was such a blessing to see a family full of love and no one seeming to notice children who were ethnically different than their parents. In the end, we know that grace will transcend our outer differences and bind us together as one family.
Here is the "Transracial Adopted Children's Bill of Rights:"
* Every child is entitled to love and full membership in his or her family.
*Every child is entitled to have his or her heritage and culture embraced and valued.
* Every child is entitled to parents who value individuality and enjoy complexity.
* Every child is entitled to parents who understand that this is a race conscious society.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know their child will experience life in ways differently from theirs.
* Every child is entitled to parents who are not seeking to "save" a child or to make the world a better place by adopting.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know belonging to a family is not based on physical matching.
* Every child is entitled to parents who have significant relationships with people of other races.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know transracial adoption changes the family structure forever.
* Every child is entitled to be accepted by his or her extended family members.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know that if they are white they experience the benefits of racism because the country's system is organized that way.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know they cannot be the sole transmitter of the child's culture when it is not their own.
* Every child is entitled to grow up with items in their home environment created for and by people of their own race or ethnicity.
* Every child is entitled to have places available to make friends with people of his or her race or ethnicity.
* Every child is entitled to have opportunities in his or her environment to participate in positive experiences with his or her birth culture.
* Every child is entitled to opportunities to build racial pride within his or her own home, school, and neighborhood.
Here is the "Transracial Adopted Children's Bill of Rights:"
* Every child is entitled to love and full membership in his or her family.
*Every child is entitled to have his or her heritage and culture embraced and valued.
* Every child is entitled to parents who value individuality and enjoy complexity.
* Every child is entitled to parents who understand that this is a race conscious society.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know their child will experience life in ways differently from theirs.
* Every child is entitled to parents who are not seeking to "save" a child or to make the world a better place by adopting.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know belonging to a family is not based on physical matching.
* Every child is entitled to parents who have significant relationships with people of other races.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know transracial adoption changes the family structure forever.
* Every child is entitled to be accepted by his or her extended family members.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know that if they are white they experience the benefits of racism because the country's system is organized that way.
* Every child is entitled to parents who know they cannot be the sole transmitter of the child's culture when it is not their own.
* Every child is entitled to grow up with items in their home environment created for and by people of their own race or ethnicity.
* Every child is entitled to have places available to make friends with people of his or her race or ethnicity.
* Every child is entitled to have opportunities in his or her environment to participate in positive experiences with his or her birth culture.
* Every child is entitled to opportunities to build racial pride within his or her own home, school, and neighborhood.
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