Friday, September 8, 2017

HAPPY ENKUTATASH ETHIOPIAN NEW YEAR

A TELL-TALE WORTH KNOWING

Enku-ta-ta-sh (እንቁጣጣሽ) is the first day of the New Year in Ethiopia based on the Coptic calendar, which was fixed to the Julian calendar. It occurs on Meskerem 1 on the Ethiopian month calendar, which is September 11 or 12 in the leap year of the worldwide Gregorian calendar.

By a calculation the Ethiopian calendar is currently seven years and eight months behind the global Gregorian calendar.

Enkutatash is also an important festival for the Ethiopians as it symbolizes the advent of good harvest weather. After months of torrential pour, the month of September sees clear skies and fresh, clear, beautiful atmosphere. The highlands all teeming with flowers and the land looks like it is made of clear gold as the Meskel –religious celebrations to commemorate the discovery of the true cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified –daisies bear flowers in the season.

The Origins of Enkutatash

Tracing the origins of the Enkutatash tradition, as historians site it, whether it’s factual or not, is a tell-tale biblical spectacle as the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba aka ‘Makeda’ came back from her visit to the fabled King Solomon, the elders (the chides) of the tribes as a welcome gesture offered her Jewels known as enku(jewels). This story is still under extreme study about its authenticity. However, Enkutatash translates to the ‘Gift of Jewels’ and has been celebrated henceforth in the season of spring. September (Meskerem) hence is the month which sees the transition period of the transformation from the old to the new and hereafter this month nestles within it the hopes for a brighter and better future.

The Origins of Meskel

Meskel (መስቀል) celebration occurs on the 17th of Meskerem (September) in the Ethiopian calendar which is September 27 or 28 in leap years in the Gregorian calendar.
Meskel, a religious holiday celebrations in the Ethiopian Orthodox, commemorates the discovery of the cross by the Roman Empress St. Helena (Saint Helena), mother of Constantine the Great, in the fourth century, on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

According to written observations, in the year 326 AD Queen Helena went on a search for the true cross and was unsuccessful until she received help through a dream.

In accordance with her dream, she made a bonfire (Demera - ደመራ) and the smoke gave her direction to the spot where the cross was buried. To herald her success, Helena (also known as Nigist Eleni in Ethiopian) lit torches.

 Traditional Meskel Celebrations
 On the Eve of Meskel, bonfires ( ደመራ - Demera) are made out of dry leaves and wood, and lit alight in front of the houses. This lighting of the bonfires is then accompanied by the singing of songs by the young and the old. At wee hours of the morning, people dress themselves in traditional Ethiopian costumes as they pay a visit to the church which is followed by family meals comprising of injera which is basically a form of flat bread and wot –an equally famous Ethiopian staple stew. (These are famous cuisines available in every Ethiopian restaurant around the world. Please, visit your local venders and enjoy the feast.)
The girls in Ethiopia on New Year occasions go on singing songs from door to door and receive money for it, much like the tradition of Christmas choirs and carol singing children, the boys of Ethiopia on the other hand sell pictures of flowers that have been drawn by them. I remember, every year we couldn’t wait to exhibit our best flower drawings for competition and then after going around neighbourhoods to present the flowers to receive small amounts of money in return for appreciation, This was one of the best highlights of my childhood life. With the advent of the evening people go and visit their family and friends as they drink Tella, Tej and Araki –the locally homebrewed traditional Ethiopian beverages. (Please, visit your local Ethiopian restaurants and ask for if they sell them.) Also as the elders sit together and discuss about things that concern them and about their hopes for a New Year. The children wander around freely and happy to spend the money they have managed to earn giving out their flower drawings on the occasion.

Modern Celebrations

Nowadays, although, some still follow the traditional indoctrinations, others have embraced the city’s inhabitant’s way of life fancying the modern spirit and have adopted the more western way of sending out greetings instead of the traditional bunch of flowers that have been part of the Ethiopian customary since the beginning of the festivities.

MEMORANDUMS OF PEACE

To all my Ethiopian family, friends, people, wherever you maybe, back Home or scattered around the world, may the coming year be a very healthy, peaceful, prosperous and Happy Enkutatash.

It is common to read history backward and assume that a particular group is destined to become dominant, but conflict is part of the historical narrative and as such unavoidable part of human experience marked by complex relations and a never ending alternation between the oppressed and oppressors, families, friends and foes.

It is said that those who do not learn from past mistakes are doomed to repeat it. Many mistakes and errors have been committed by successive HABITS in the past. These mistakes need to be identified, studied and lessons drawn from them so that they will not be repeated again. We need to build collective agenda to advance and support these mistakes and undertake not to repeat them.

Playing the ethnic card game is to fall victim to destructive identity politics that breeds division, hatred, conflict, and cynicism. One Ethiopia: no more trickery and cynical ploy to divide the country along ethnic line for the sole purpose of maintaining its hegemony.

The process of unifying people is difficult and the road to unity is often littered with the debris of historical grievances, animosity and resentment.

We cannot transform our country without first educating, inspiring and transforming our people to the level that requires understanding, mutual respect and endeavor to unfold the bondage of ignorance and evil governance that capitalizes on our negligence to become informed and ready to defend collectively, as living organism of habitat do, to the perpetual continuity of our existence as Ethiopians. –Tesfaye Aman

The realities today are different than they were five, ten or twenty years ago. Aligning one’s thinking and actions with the changing times (realities) and circumstances is a sign of wisdom and humane maturity.

Failure can be turned into an opportunity to learn and grow. I say it can, because it requires a particular attitude to benefit from our failure. Without that mentality, all our failures will go to waste. This is true in political affairs as it is in personal life for a leader as well as a follower. So what is that mentality?

It is a mentality that is willing and able to reflect on past experiences – past actions and their outcomes.

It is only through such reflections that one learns one’s strengths, weaknesses and the environment and conditions in which actions were undertaken and what could have been done differently that could have resulted in a positive outcome.

As Obama time after time stated in several of his deliveries, “change takes time”, it’s time for us to take responsibility for our own predicaments and stop the name and blame game!

May the coming year be a time to resolve all our uncertainties and sustain peace and harmony in our family, friends, community, locally and globally.
Health & Happiness