A country brimming with rich culture and beautiful national parks, here are the five best Ethiopian events and festivals you should definitely attend in 2023.
Located in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia is a landlocked country with borders in Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
From religious festivals to cultural events, let’s take a look at five Ethiopian events and festivals you should look out for.
5. Ethiopian Christmas − a beautiful day of the year
Christmas Day on the Ethiopian calendar occurs on 7 January. Also called Genna, it’s a beautiful day of the year celebrated with friends, family, and neighbours.
Traditional Ethiopian Christmas foods include ‘wat’, a thick and spicy stew that usually contains meat and vegetables, and sometimes eggs. This is served with injera, a traditional Ethiopian flatbread made with grain.
After the meal, it is tradition to serve coffee around to everyone.
Unlike other parts of the world, Santa Claus isn’t really a big thing in Ethiopia, as Genna is more of a religious celebration. Instead, in rural parts of the country, elders will wear a unique black robe and pass a slice of homemade bread out to the children.
If you have friends or family in Ethiopia who have invited you over for Ethiopian Christmas Day, make sure to head to Ethiopia Airways to book your flights.
4. Timkat − one of the most important festivals in Ethiopia
A celebration that takes place between 19 and 20 January each year, Timkat celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. Timkat translates to ‘baptism’ in English.
Timkat is one of the most important festivals on the Ethiopian calendar. Locals celebrate the occasion with an annual mass baptism at sacred pools and waterfronts around the country.
These locations include the old capital of Gondor, Lalibela, and Addis Ababa. The festival attracts tourist spectators every year to different regions of Ethiopia.
However, it’s important to remember that it is a religious festival that involves lots of music, singing, dancing, and splashing around.
3. Meskel − a festival with a lot of colour
Festivals in Ethiopia often involve a lot of colour, and Meskel is no exception. The festival takes place at the iconic and aptly named Meskel Square in Addis Ababa and draws out huge numbers of local people, public figures, and civil leaders.
The annual festival itself celebrates the finding of the “true cross” that Jesus Christ was crucified on and is one of the biggest religious celebrations in Ethiopia.
A fragment of the “true cross” is supposedly held at the Gishen Mariam, around 70 km northwest of Dessie.
The festival is celebrated with food, dance, colour, and lively processions in town squares and markets. On the eve of Meskel, towns will begin preparing cone-shaped bonfires, or Demera, to burn on the day.
This is based on the belief that Queen Eleni, or Eleni of Ethiopia, who served as regent between 1507 and 1516, had a dream in which she was told that the smoke from the bonfires would reveal the whereabouts of the “true cross” and where it was buried.
2. Enkutatash − Ethiopian New Year
Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) is celebrated on 11 September every year unless it is a leap year. Like Christmas, this differs from many other parts of the world, where New Year is celebrated on 1 January.
As the tradition goes, the Queen of Sheba returned to Ethiopia on 11 September after her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem.
Enkutatash means “gift of jewels”, and this is how the people celebrated her return by giving her jewels.
Celebrations can last for days for the Ethiopian New Year. This includes the eve of Enkutatash. On this day, most people will attend a ceremony at church, offering their prayers and welcoming the new year.
As usual, singing, dancing, and festivities all occur at this time of year.
1. The Great Ethiopian Run − the biggest and best
The Great Ethiopian Run is an annual event that takes place in November in Addis Ababa.
The event has been running since 2001 and attracts thousands of people, both locals and visitors alike, every year.
The race is the biggest and most famous of its kind that takes place in Africa. Last year, 12,500 people took part, with four million people around the world following it.
In 2017, a whopping 45,000 people took part in the race. In 2023, the 10 km race will take place on 19 November in the capital city.
Whether you live in Ethiopia or you’re visiting, this is one event we highly recommend attending. Plus, if you’re an avid runner, why not take part in the great race?
