A Happy Ethiopian Easter to all who have been fasting for the past two month. May your prayers be heard loud and clear? Happy holiday to all, too. There is one factor which is prominent whenever Easter comes. Yes, you got it! Meat! After all people stayed away from meat for about two months and you can imagine the level of the cravings even for the first bite! And the cravings being so immense lead people to go near to or over the cliff when managing their holiday expenses. No, this is not about the same old story of, “Keep your expenses as low as you can…” sort of narrative. You know the question to end all questions would come when someone challenge’s, “How do we do that wise guy! We’ve waited for two long months for this day and you’re telling us to treat it like any other day! If you are so smart how do you manage your holiday expenses? From what you seem you’re not making much impression are you?
Well to throw in a few words let alone holidays normal days are expensive these days. I mean real expensive, terribly expensive! as if you know what I mean. I mean this is not some phenomenon where a few unlucky ones suffer at the bottom of the pit while the rest are out in the sun.
Wouldn’t be it be very naïve of me to write on such a ‘holiday topic right on the very day! Still I’d have said “take it easy, guys!” but then some smart soul would ask, “What does ‘take it easy’ mean?” Not at all a simple question at all! Still, take it easy!
By the way vibe of the holiday shopping is a part of the social day scene. I used to know a couple who go to the holiday markets just for the fun of it and buy absolutely nothing! They enjoy the flow of humanity at the places and the various scenarios of human interactions. One thing sure; sometime your true self lurking under your skin comes out into the open when you go holiday shopping and argue over each and every time you plan to purchase.
“What a thousand bit for such a sorry chicken!”
Did you hear him? Did you just hear him asking eleven grand for the sheep? The sheep is the perfect example of what a terribly malnourished sheep would look like. And he asks you money which could have comfortably carried you through three months in these days of global hardships. And since a few years back have ended the sheep market scene and made immense impressions goat meat having won the day in many parts of the city.
I could imagine some meat lovers grumbling, “It was a hell lot of better before the goats stole their way into the show.” Now they even have areas in the city called Fiyel Sefer, (Goat village.)
Of course, there are stories which sound too good to be true. Now a long time ago it is said sheep were bought for two birr fifty! Would you believe that? I mean carrying a whole sheep for two birr fifty all the way to your home is more of a fairy tale rather than something that actually happened once upon a time.
“When I was your age we used to buy a whole sheep for two birr fifty cents and sell the hide for five
Birr! Really! Yes, really! It doesn’t make ‘economic sense,’ whatever that is. Why don’t the sheep merchants just slaughter the sheep and sell the hide? Thinking about it maybe, just maybe, due to age old tradition of people preferring to slaughter their sheep in their homes that must have not been an option.
These days a mild sized sheep can demand anywhere upwards of eight, nine grand and I can tell you many are reevaluating their ways of celebrating holidays just go out early morning on the holiday and buy two, three kilos of meat. A few friends of mine who used to buy sheep or goat for holidays
We can like something without having to give a reason. You like it just because you like it. You don’t. You don’t have to know why. No logic, no proof, no reasoning, and no supporting evidence-just because.
Just for the sake of it, once i told you about the protests of the tej brewers during the military regime. There was widespread talk of them using sugar instead of honey in their products while they claimed they indeed use pure honey and that they don’t go anywhere close to sugar. Of course they convinced practically no one. Especially tej enthusiasts were fuming like anything else. They called for strict against the brewers. Of course the denial of the brewers was, to say the least, vociferous. They took that as a deliberate campaign to scare them away from the business!
Then one day they hold a protest rally. What were they protesting? Not what you may think, not for the avalanche of criticism and accusations against them to be curbed. You know what they were protesting about? Not for the criticisms and accusations against them to be stopped. They claimed they were being given too little sugar! What? Yes they claimed they were being given such low amounts of sugar it was hurting their business. And they wanted the boots running the country to take measures and see to it they get the amount of sugar they needed! What in the world were they thinking! (Don’t you miss such people who make things very easy for you by unintentionally confirming what they are accused of?
“We demand to be given more sugar!”
“But you guys said you don’t use sugar in your products why do you need a few grams more than others.” How I’d have loved if I could recall what happened later.
Anyways back to the holidays and again it’s ‘Happy Easter’ from me. Again take it easy with all the spicy foods meaning take them with moderation and with the utmost care as it easy for your entre anatomy to go into multiple shocks.
Take it Easy!
BY EPHREM ENDALE CONTRIBUTOR
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 5 MAY 2024