GONDAR — Having voiced complete satisfaction over this year’s Ethiopian Epiphany celebration, Diasporas have expressed keen interest in making their foreign colleagues familiar with the Ethiopian Epiphany and encouraging tourists to come to Ethiopia in droves.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, a member of Ethiopian Diaspora in Canada, Aster Wondimagegn said that she is so eager to tell her Canadian friends about Ethiopia’s breathtaking tourist attractions and the uniqueness of Ethiopian Epiphany that UNESCO recognized as world’s intangible cultural heritage.
The traditional costumes, hair dressings and the crowd make the Ethiopian Epiphany’s celebration unique than other carnivals that takes place to celebrate baptism in other countries, she said.
Though Aster lives in Canada and her hometown is Addis Ababa, she comes to Gondar each year to celebrate Timket.
As to her, there are over 50 Ethiopians who came here along with her from Canada to celebrate this year’s Epiphany.
The number of tourists who come to take part in the Gondar’s Epiphany celebration is on rise. And this year’s surge is due to the inscription of the holiday on UNESCO, she noted.
Working with other Ethiopians living in Canada, Aster plans to invite more people to come and see Ethiopia’s Epiphany celebration and other interesting public holidays starting next year.
Mussie Abel hails from Australia. He has come to Gondar for the first time after nine years. He is speechless to describe this year’s Epiphany’s celebration mood and decoration.
As to him, the highest numbers of celebrants have made the celebration so fascinating. “I am stunned as I have never gotten involved in a carnival that attended by many people like this.”
Mussie has come here with his 10 friends. He also wants to inform his Australian coworkers about the celebration and
persuade them to come here. In addition, the inscription of the holiday on UNESCO will attract more visitors from the world, he underlined.
The country is celebrating Epiphany for the first time after its inscription on UNESCO’s intangible world heritage list.
The Ethiopian Herald January 21/2020
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
