BY LEULSEGED WORKU
Ethiopians have distinctive cultural and religious festivals and a unique calendar which is totally different from the rest of the world. The Ethiopian calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. This is because of the fact that it calculates the birth year of Jesus Christ differently. When the Catholic Church amended its calculation in 500 AD, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church did not. And, while the Western countries mark Christmas on December 25th, Ethiopians mark the day on January 7th almost a week after Western countries’ New Year.
Genna or Christmas is marked in Ethiopia among followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church uniquely integrating the traditional values of Ethiopia with the modern norms. Strikingly, marking the Genna festival with a traditional way at Lalibela, is one of the peculiar features of the Ethiopian Christmas.
Every year, it is common to see Ethiopians and foreign visitors spending time at the historic town of Lalibela, where Genna is celebrated colorfully, in a religious way.
By taking this into consideration, the Ministry of Tourism, regional tourism bureaus, and Lalibela Town Administration have already finalized preparation and the Town has started welcoming guests to mark the day warmly and colorfully.
Speaking to the local media, Tourism State Minister, Sileshi Girma, said that apart from working with the media to promote the celebration of the Ethiopian Christmas, a package has been prepared for guests coming to the festival to visit other attraction sites. In addition to coordinating the successful completion of the festival, temporary first aid centers are prepared. As a means to keep the interest of visitors, an agreement is also reached with The Ethiopian Airlines for the arrangements of additional flights besides the regular commercial ones, the State Minister indicated.
Sileshi said that invitations were also sent to prominent figures, ministers, ambassadors and diplomats of various countries and institutions to attend the day at Lalibela. As to the State Minister, the celebration is pivotal to revitalize the flow of tourists that has been affected by the conflict and the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
Genna, in addition to its religious values has a significant role in bringing together various members of the society from different parts of the world. For this reason, Seleshi has invited the local people, the Ethiopian Diaspora and the international community to celebrate Christmas in the iconic Town, Lalibela.
On his part, Lalibela Town Deputy Mayor and Head of the Office of Culture and Tourism, Deacon Addise Demse, said that preparations to celebrate the Ethiopian Christmas at Lalibela Town are finalized. “All the necessary preparations have been completed and guests have started entering into Lalibela Town to mark the Ethiopian Christmas festival.”
Deacon Addise pointed out that more than 1.8 million guests are expected to come to the Town to the celebration of the holiday. He also added that adequate arrangements have been made to meet the interests of tourists and visitors in a unique way.
On its part, the Amhara State Culture and Tourism Bureau has announced its expectation to welcome a large number of international and domestic tourists in this year’s Christmas festival in Lalibela. Director of Tourism Development at the Bureau, Melkamu Adamu, told local media that various preparatory works are being undertaken in every sector to ensure successful Christmas celebration on January 7, 2023.
He explained that the Amhara State Culture and Tourism Bureau is in charge of organizing information regarding visitors’ flow, carrying out preparatory works and promotion of the event through various media, and ensuring the readiness of service provider institutions and stakeholders. According to him, the State is now found in a better peaceful situation. For this reason, the Town is now ready to host its gusts.
Mentioning that Lalibelais a historic Town and has a lot to provide to its visitors, Melkamu urged guests to visit the various tourist sites in the Town and enjoy the honey product symposium at Lasta Woreda that will take place before the main day of Christmas celebration.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 6 JANUARY 2023
