BY DARGIE KAHSAY
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC) is celebrating Easter, the resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ, today. Faithful of the church are marking Easter after near-two months of fasting to commemorate the affliction, death and then resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The week since Palm Sunday locally referred Semune Himamat (the Passion week) is considered a period of introspection as such a holy one. The church and its followers celebrate the week by seeing to different religious practices mainly fasting, praying and prostration. The celebration starts during Palm Sunday by congregants gathered in churches to pray, to attend preaching and to accept blessings by religious fathers.
The week of soul-searching from Monday to Saturday including eve of Easter is named as “Semune Himamat”, Holy Week. Starting from Monday, next day of Palm Sunday, followers of the religion are on feast until 5:00 PM. They daily do repetitive prostrations charged with repentance until the Good Friday. Thursday of the holy week is named as Maundy Thursday.
Religious fathers of the church and the faithful celebrate the day with special activities to commemorate the deeds of Jesus Christ during the days while he was on earth. The day marks the night of the Last Supper in which Jesus commanded that people should love one another; he then washed the feet of his followers as an act of humility and kindness. To top it all, he shared the final meal.
During Maundy Thursday, following the suit of Jesus Christ, this year, as usual, the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and other religious fathers washed the feet of followers gathered in churches to commemorate the kindness of Jesus. Similarly, as part of the event followers prepared boiled peas, named Gulban and shared with one another so as to reenact Jesus’ final meal with disciples.
The picture shows a religious father prostrating during the Good Friday.
The whole day, the faithful stay there prostrating and praying. Following the completion of the ceremony after 5:00 PM, the faithful went to their homes.
After the completion of the Good Friday ceremony at late Friday, people went to their home and eat food almost after 24 hours. They share meal with the needy. And then, following the Good Friday dinner, to commemorate the crucify of Jesus, most religious leaders and followers didn’t eat food until Sunday morning, the resurrection of Jesus. This Saturday, the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is named as “Kedam Seur”, the only feast Saturday in Orthodox Christianity.
Saturday night, people gather in Churches. The program started on Saturday evening and the whole night religious fathers and followers spent the night chanting, praying and singing religious songs to praise and thank their God.
In the Mid-night, Saturday to Sunday, the church declared the resurrection of Jesus. At this time, everyone in and around the church lights-up a candle or tuaf to celebrate Jesus’ resurgence. Religious songs become hot and everyone becomes happy. Joy and peace prevails.
During the ceremony, religious fathers chant with the phrases “Christ rose from the dead… by the highest power and authority. He chained Satan and freed Adam. Peace… Henceforth, joy and peace prevails.”
This shot was taken during this year’s Maundy Thursday celebration at the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, St. Marry Menbere Patriairch Church found in Amist Kilo, Addis Ababa. Patriarch Aba Matiyas, archbishops and other religious fathers conducted the ceremony, putting on religious robes.
They were praying and praising the savior. In front of them is seen a bowel containing water and olive leafs. The water and the leafs were prepared by the Patriarch and other senior religious fathers to wash the legs of the faithful attending the ceremony. The Patriarch and archbishops are shown blessing the waters prepared to wash the feet’s of the followers. This ceremony is practiced in all churches throughout the country. Religious fathers in every church wash the feet’s of the faithful.
The next day is Good Friday, a day Jesus Christ was crucified. During the Good Friday, the whole day, the whole faithful of the religion gather in churches to pray, prostrate and some to flagellate the whole day. Religious fathers lead the prostration, teaching the people about the sacrifices of Jesus Christ during the day and reading religious books. After completing the ceremony of the day, followers would finally meet their confessing fathers to get absorption for any wrong-doings or to get additional blessings.
The above picture was taken during this year’s Good Friday celebration by Ethiopian Orthodox Church followers at one of the Churches in Addis Ababa. The faithful gather at the church and prostrate, praying and thanking their God, Jesus Christ, to commemorate his sacrificial love to erase the sin of human beings during the Good Friday.
This picture shows Easter celebration, after the church declares the end of the event consummated by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Faithful, Deacons, clergies and Sunday school students chant and sing in praise of the Almighty. They pray to their God. It is the happiest event for the followers of the church.
Past midnight, since 9:00 am, the ceremony concludes and the faithful return to their homes. After two months of fasting, the faithful are allowed to eat meat and milk which was completely prohibited during the fasting months. The Easter Sunday is called Fasika in Ethiopia, a day of joy and happiness.
The Ethiopian Herald April 16/2023
