Christmas Around The WorldSýnishorn

Christmas in Ethiopia 

Christmas is celebrated on January 7 in Ethiopia. It is full of fun and games!

Oftentimes, the people dress in white and some wear the traditional garment called the "shamma."

Traditional foods that are eaten include Doro Wot, which is a spicy chicken stew eaten with a sourdough pancake-like bread. The Wot is eaten by hand, using the bread to scoop it up from the large serving platters.

The men and boys play a game called “ganna.” It’s similar to hockey and is played with a curved stick and a wooden ball. Some say that it’s only played once a year—on Christmas afternoon. The elderly men of the community ceremonially begin the game in the late afternoon of Christmas or Christmas Eve. Teams are chosen and the competition begins. 

Does your Christmas celebration end on December 25? How about acknowledging January 6 and 7 too since many in the world, including many in the Orthodox faith, celebrate on those two days? January 6 is acknowledged by many around the world as Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day. It is a Christian feast day where many celebrate the visit of the Magi to the Christ child. Then on January 7, some cultures like the Ethiopian one we studied today, celebrate Christmas. This is because they use the Julian calendar, while we use the Gregorian calendar.

Let’s not let our celebrations end on December 26. Instead let’s celebrate our Savior all year long!

Family Activity Idea: Add a new game to your Christmas day traditions. Consider one of these games from around the world .

Learn more about Christmas in Ethiopia.

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