| Ethiopian Christmas | |
|---|---|
 Vigil lightening atLalibela during Christmas | |
| Observed by | |
| Type | Eastern Christian |
| Significance | Birth of Jesus |
| Celebrations | |
| Date | 7 January |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Christmas |
Ethiopian Christmas (Amharic:ገና[a];Oromo:Ayaana;Tigrinya:ልደት[b]) is aholiday celebrated by theEthiopian Orthodox andEritrean Orthodox churches, as well asProtestant andCatholic denominations inEthiopia, on7 January (Tahsas 29 in theEthiopian calendar).
One of the distinct features of Ethiopian Christmas is a traditional game similar tohockey. The game is believed to have evolved from the shepherds tending their flocks on the nightJesus was born.[1][2]
Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated on 7 January (Tahsas 29 in theEthiopian calendar) as the day ofJesus' birth, alongside theRussian,Greek,Eritrean andSerbian Orthodox Churches.[3] It is also celebrated byProtestant andCatholic denominations in the country.[4]
Ethiopian Orthodox Christians are expected tofast for 43 days, a period known asTsome Nebiyat or theFast of the Prophets. Fasting also includes abstaining from allanimal products andpsychoactive substances, includingmeat andalcohol. Starting on 25 November, the fast believed to be "cleansing the body of sin" as they await the birth ofJesus.[5]
On Christmas Day, a thin white cotton garment callednetela is worn. On theChristmas Eve, Ethiopian Christians attend an overnight church service, usually starting around 6:00pm and finishing at 3:00am. People line up surrounding a church and begin a long, looping procession around thecircumference of the church. The festivities are a communal experience and a commitment of faith.[5] The holiday attracts pilgrimages to theLalibelaChurches.[6]
Gena (ገና) orQarsa (ቃርሳ) is a traditionalfield hockey game popular in theEthiopian highlands.[5][7]
Gena is a game played in the space between villages, a field of about 100 yards, but with no defined boundaries.[8] It is played among two teams who attempt to throw a wooden ball in the air and hit it with sticks, the goal being to prevent the opposing team from bring the ball to their village, or score it in your goal.[9][10]
The game is closely associated withGena, the January 7 celebration ofChristmas, from which it gets its name along with another,rugby-like, sport.[11] Historically,Imperial Ethiopiansoldiers acquired proficiency in weapon use from a young age by being trained from childhood with games such as Akandura (Darts) and Gena, which imitated combat.
