Dare you see Easter more than Easter eggs!!

Ethiopian Easter - Hudade Tsom & Fasika

“Melam Fasika!!”

Wait so no Easter Eggs for Easter? Well not to shock you but the story goes....

Easter lent is the fasting of the Apostles in remembrance of the passion of the cross & the fast of the Lord and victory over the great devilish temptation, also known as Hudade, which means great state farm, during the time of plowing and cultivating. The Ethiopian Orthodox faith followers lent (No meat, Diary products or eggs are consumed) 40days to represent Christ’s 40 days/nights fasting, and an addition of 16days to pray for all leaders to lead the world righteously, giving a total of 56days. Children above 8, & all adult of the followers of the Ethiopian Christian Orthodox church are encouraged to participate. The Ethiopian scholar, St. Yared, who chanted, wrote & composed the church hymns with its reading and melody, has arranged in his “Somme – Digua” special names for all the Lent Sundays, thus every Sunday during is named by its song.

In the Ethiopian Christian Orthodox faith, a week before Easter Sunday is Hosanna (Palm Sunday), to celebrate when Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem, & is marked by distribution of palm leaves at church. Hemamat (Passion/Holy week), falls a day after Hossana and before Palm Sunday, between Monday till Friday, a strict disciple of mind, body and soul is asked of the followers of the faith.

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In the Ethiopian Orthodox, from Monday to Friday it is asked of followers to refrain from doing & saying things that will distract one from their spiritual practice. Some sleep on the floor, refrain from sex, work & other commitments, Thursday & Good Friday are the start of the preparation of breaking the fast, when all orthodox believers go to church. 

Good Friday starts early where fasting is done the whole day, while some followers & all priest’s makfel (i.e. fast the 3 days commemorating Jesus’s death before his resurrection), they only consume water & beans for the next couple of days till Sunday morning after kidase, around 3:00am.

The entire Ethiopian Christian Orthodox church followers go to church on Friday for segdet (penance by doing a series of bows and kneeling), which lasts the whole day until 6pm, solemnly as that’s what commemorate the death of Jesus’s body. The entire day you see people in the church, on the floor praying & sharing without having consumed anything. After the sermon, followers asks the priest how many times to mesged to repent for your sins during lent, which sometimes may mean you will be fasting longer than others, and/or the priest gently places palm tree figs on your back and whispers the number of segdet that will repent your sins.

On Saturday evening, most spend the night at church, participate in kidasse (chanting), shebsheba (gospel) using church musical instruments till the early morning. On midnight on Saturday chicken are slaughtered, and food is prepared to break fast. Commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ after 3days. Coming back from church at 3:00am, and seeing the entire Ethiopian Orthodox church followers coming back from church, lighting their twaf (wax candle), singing on the streets, wearing their white netella, one can feel a release of joy after the long build-up of suffering, to acknowledge and share the magnitude of Jesus’s suffering.

On Sunday morning a sheep is slaughtered to commence the ending of Easter Lent. Easter in Ethiopia is celebrated through inner silence, prayer, and spiritual practice, sharing & caring for family, friends, and strangers. Thus on Sunday most share their food with family & friends, the younger family members visit the elders to wish them Melkam Fasika (Happy Easter).

Easter is truly the most celebrated holiday in Ethiopia for the Ethiopian Christian Orthodox faith followers. I have been lenting since I was 8years old, it is such an extraordinary experience, the energy throughout Ethiopia is calmer, I feel my mind, body & soul is more balanced. Lent it also a great disciplining of ones desires, not just for your own well-being, but for all those around you. 

Dare you see Easter more than Easter eggs, and truly remember Christ & his exemplary ways this Easter Lent.

Melam Fasika!!

By Dutchess @Deldeyoch

T : https://twitter.com/deldeyoch