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Welcome to The Life and Culture of Ethiopia
Lauren Jones
A new outlook on a different culture. I expanded my horizons and went to Africa to have the experience of a lifetime.
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This blog is about my experiences I had when I traveled to Ethiopia. In this blog I will be talking about the religion, history, customs, and in general, the way of life in Ethiopia. This past summer during the end of July and the beginning of August, I traveled to Ethiopia and had the experience of a lifetime. Because I have a fear of flying, I was not very eager to go, as the flight was thirty hours total, there and back. But, I overcame that fear and was glad I did. Ethiopia was an amazing experience and it taught me to have a blank canvas whenever I travel so I can immerse myself in the country.
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"We must travel in the direction of our fear"
John Berryman
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The History of Ethiopia
The Full Story
The history of Ethiopia is fascinating. The name, location and
Ethiopia is known as the Horn of Africa, and the capital is Addis Ababa. It is the largest and most heavily populated country in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is landlocked because of the 1993 secession of Eritrea. Ethiopia, known as one of the world's oldest countries, has endured and overcome many hardships. The country was liberated during World War II by the Allied Powers, which helped Ethiopia become a more effective member of the world around it. As well, Ethiopia was one of the first independent nations to make the motion to sign the Charter of the United Nations. In fact, this was an essential step in forming the Organization of African Unity, whose headquarters are located in the capital, Addis Ababa. However, turmoil is apart of Ethiopia's history. Some invasions include when Italy invaded Ethiopia, and the war with Eritrea. Italy invaded Ethiopia because the Italian leader at the time, Benito Mussolini, wanted to follow in Adolf Hitler's plan to expand the German territories. The war with Eritrea and Ethiopia lasted 20 years. They disputed over independence. Now, Ethiopia and Eritrea are finally at peace
Facts:
Form of Government: federal republic that has two legislative houses
Head of State: President Sahle-Work Zewde
Head of Government: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
Capital: Addis Ababa
Currency: birr
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The Religion in Ethiopia
There are many religions in Ethiopia. They include: Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Protestantism, traditional beliefs, and Roman Catholicism. About 62% of Ethiopians are Christians. 43% are Orthodox, 18.6% are Protestant, 0.7% are Catholic, and 2.7% practice Judaism. Most of the southern regions are Muslim comprising 33% of the population. In Ethiopia, Christianity was established in the 4th century. One of the oldest and most organized Christian bodies in the world is known as the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Most of Christianity is found in the highlands of the northern part of Ethiopia. There were many religions introduced in Ethiopia, one of them being Islam. Islam was established in the 7th century and to this day is practiced by one-third of Ethiopians. It is most prominent in the Eastern Lowlands. Judaism is also practiced in Ethiopia, mostly in the city of Gonder.
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The Culture in Ethiopia
Religion, family, etiquette, food, and drink are all important characteristics in Ethiopian culture. As I talked about in my previous blog post, religion plays a big role in how Ethiopians live their day to day lives. The second characteristic is family. Family is valued in Ethiopian culture because family takes precedence over all matters, including obligations such as business. The third characteristic, etiquette, is how Ethiopians show respect for one another. Ethiopians are genuinely nice people, so when meeting a new person, greetings are formal. They consist of a handshake, making sure direct eye contact is given. When two people of the same sex meet, and it is known that they have a personal relationship, they kiss three times on the cheeks. When a male and female meet for the first time, the male must wait for the female to extend her hand first when greeting. Frequently asked questions when first meeting a new person are about your job, health, and family. Words that are typically used to address people are "Ato, Woizero, and Woizrity," referring to an unmarried woman, married woman, or a man. Elders are greeted first, and children usually bow as a sign of respect. The third characteristic is food/dining. When dining at someone else's house, it is respectable to be on time, take off your shoes at the door, be prepared to wash your hands at the table. Because you will be most likely eating with your hands, you will be given a basin with soap and water to wash your hands with before and after you eat. The fourth characteristic are drinks in Ethiopia, the most famous one being coffee. Coffee is almost always served with your meals, as it is known as a national drink. It usually takes an hour to drink. Traditionally, there is a coffee ceremony. The beans are roasted and washed over charcoal, this act is done by a woman or a young boy. There are three rounds of coffee that are served. The first one is called awol, and it begins with the eldest in the room to the youngest. The second round is called tona, this is wear than the first batch because the leftover beans are used. The last round, known as Baraka, is served after the water is boiled again. The coffee must always be sipped slowly. Other popular drinks are tella and tej. These are normally consumed at festivals and weddings.
Vocabulary:
bunna-coffee
jebena-coffee pot
awol-first round of coffee
tona-second round of coffee
baraka-third round of coffee
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The Attire in Ethiopia
The dress in Ethiopia correlates to the weather conditions and the varying temperatures, as well as the tribes in Ethiopia. In the country's highlands, it is colder and requires warm layers, such as wraparound blankets and other heavy articles of clothing. As opposed to the lowlands, lighter, cotton, clothing is worn because of the heat. For example, Amhara women prefer clothing that covers them more because of the cold temperatures, and the Oromo women prefer light-weight clothing because they are in a warmer climate. The majority of clothing that women wear consist entirely of woven cotton. Women also wear colorful ankle-length dresses.
An item of clothing that is widely known in Ethiopia is the Shamma. A Shamma is a long cotton robe that can also be worn as a whole body cover or head cover. Another typical dress for a woman is known as the Habesha Kemis, also known as the Snow White Dress. This type of dress is normally worn at formal events. A shawl is also paired with it, called a netela. This piece of clothing is delicate and very thin and is embroidered at the ends to match the pattern on the dress. The netela can also be used as a way for the person wearing it to communicate with passersby on how they are feeling. For example, when someone is mourning, the netela is wrapped around one's face. For religious services, the netela is wrapped around the shoulders and back, with the embroidered part over the right shoulder. When the woman relaxed, the embroidered part of the netela is worn over the left shoulder.
With the different tribes in Ethiopia, there are many colors that represent their culture. The Harar women wear purple, red, and black dresses, while the Oromo women wear brightly colored clothes made of cotton. Clothing is a way to differentiate between different ethnic groups, as well as hairstyles and embroidery. Amhara and Tigray women wear their hair in lots of braids, while Harari women wear their hair in buns. The traditional clothing for men consists of white knee-length shirts, white, cotton pants that are worn underneath a Shamma, a sweater, and knee-high socks. In some outfits, some embroidery is shown on the front of some shirts and on the collars.
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Oromia
This was when my family and I went hiking in Oromia
Vervet monkey
This is a vervet monkey. While we were eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner they would come up very close to us and roam around.
Abijatta-Shalla National Park
We saw an emu when we were on a walking safari though the Abijatta-Shalla National Park
Oromia
This was when my family and I went hiking in Oromia
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The Food in Ethiopia
There are many essential dishes in Ethiopian culture. The dishes are considered to be the most healthiest and the most tastiest. The food is typically eaten with your hands. There is a gesture when close family and friends feed each other at dinner. This is called Gursha. This is a nice gesture that represents love. In Ethiopia, on Wednesdays and Fridays, people eat a vegan diet. Ethiopian food is one of the best things to eat for vegans and vegetarians because there are many options. Listed below are the 10 most essential parts of Ethiopian food:
1.) Injera
2.) Tibs
3.) Shiro
4.) Berbere
5.) Kitfo
6.) Coffee
7.) Tej
8.) Juices
9.) Fir-Fir
10.) Doro wat
Injera is used as a way to pick up the food from off of your plate. The injera is also underneath of all of the food placed on the plate. Tibs are meat chunks that is known as the go-to dish. Shiro is known as the peasant's dish, and consists of flour, split peas, and chickpeas. Berbere is known as chili pepper. There are many ingredients that go into making this dish. The majority are peppers and spices. The peppers and spices are ground together to make a powder-like substance Kitfo is ground raw beef that is usually served with gomen; or cooked greens. Coffee is grown locally in Ethiopia and is the birthplace. Coffee is usually served with a coffee ceremony. Tej is an alcoholic beverage, otherwise known as honey wine. This is considered the national drink. The juices that people drink in Ethiopia are made with fresh fruit. The most popular one being made with avocado. Fir-fir is more of a breakfast food made with left-over injera. Doro wat is made with free-ranged chicken and gomen.
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Ethno-Linguistic Groups
Oromo-population (34,216,242) *think of the number of people the University of Michigan Stadium can fit*
Language: Oromo
-live in Oromia, in the central region of Ethiopia
-farmers and nomads
Amhara-population (28,855,771) *think of the population of Texas*
Language: Amharic (official language of Ethiopia)
-as a way of teaching their children moral lessons, they use proverbs and myths
-known for spicy foods that consist of chili peppers, basil, and garlic
Tigray-population (6,047,522) *think of the population of Maryland*
Language: Tigrinya
-use folklores, poetry, and riddles as a way of entertainment
-spoken in Eritrea
Somali-population (6,186,774) *think of the population of Missouri*
Language: Somalia
-disperse throughout Kenya, and Somalia
-most practiced religion is Islam
-Arabic is also spoken in Somalia
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Phrases in Ethiopia
Everyday words:
-selam-hello
-indemIn aderk-good morning
-indemIn walk-good afternoon
-dehna ider-good night
-dehna hun-good bye
-beqIrbu InIgenagn-see you soon
-nege InIgenangn-see you tomorrow
-indemIn amesheh-good evening
-lelaka-see you later
-amesegenalow-thank you
-tinish tinish-a little
-minem aydelem-no problem
-yekirta-excuse me
-ow-yes
-ishi-ok
-ayasfeligegnim-i don't want it
-gobez-good
-tew-stop it
-ibakIh-please
Phrases Essential for Travelers:
-inglizIgna menager tIchIlaleh-can you speak english?
-amarIgna allnagerIm-i don't speak Amharic
-metatyebiya bietu yet new-where is the bathroom?
-turist negn-i am a toursit
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Time Change in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, unlike most countries around the world, there are two different ways to tell the time. This is because Ethiopia is closer to the Equator, and there is more daylight throughout the year. A twelve hour clock is used. One starting with 1 to 12 (from dawn to dusk), and the other operating from dusk to dawn. Ethiopia is eight hours ahead of the United States. So, when it is 9:00 in the morning in the United States, it would be 3:00 in the afternoon in Ethiopia. Ethiopia also has its own calendar, known as the Ge'ez Calendar. This type of calendar is around seven to eight years behind the typical Gregorian calendar (used in the United States). The Ethiopian Calendar is made up of twelve months with thirty days, with five or six days added to the end of the year. This is to match the solar cycle. In Ethiopia, there are thirteen months in one year. The New Year in Ethiopia is on September 11, and Christmas is on January 7th. This is because the Ethiopian calendar more closely represents the Julian calendar, which was started by Julius Ceasar. This makes Ethiopia a very unique country and it is fascinating to learn about how countries differ in simple areas like time. As you can see in the photo, the top clock is international time (9:19), and the bottom is local (Ethiopian) time (3:19) .
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My Experience in Ethiopia
All the Latest
July 2018 was a very pivotal point in conquering my fear of flying, as my family traveled to Ethiopia. This has by far been the longest flight I have ever taken. The round trip was a total of thirty hours. In addition to being stressed by the length of the flight, I was afraid to travel to Ethiopia because of the political and social unrest. About at the time I was getting ready to go to Ethiopia, Eritrea, a neighboring country had finally made peace after twenty years of turmoil. While this peace was comforting, the crime in Ethiopia was not; an engineer was murdered not far away from the hotel where I was staying. In spite of my fears, I had to overcome them. I told myself that this was a wonderful opportunity to experience another country. I am so glad I conquered my fears and made the brave decision to go. The experience was incredible. After the long, and thankfully uneventful flight, I was able to see what hard work really looked like. I saw men, women, and children carrying huge bags of produce on their backs. Some were even lucky enough to have donkey’s that would pull the wooden carts to and from town. Everyone worked; children sold handmade jewelry and souvenirs, and women swept the shops to make them more inviting to potential customers. People in Ethiopia work extremely hard to provide for their families, and I discovered that even though poverty was everywhere, they still have a sense of pride. For example, we went to a friend’s house for dinner, and she and her family were dressed in traditional Ethiopian attire to welcome us to their home. We could see how proud she was to have us as guests in her home. I have learned not to have expectations when I travel to new places. Instead, I try to be a blank canvas when I travel because then I can be surprised and fully immerse myself in the culture. I learned to be grateful for what I have, because in other countries, they may not have as much, and the people are perfectly content with it. I no longer take for granted clean water or fresh fruit and vegetables because both are hard to come by in other countries. I have learned to overcome my fears, and not let them hold me back.
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