Melkam Gena to all 🇪🇹 🌠🙏🏽 Gena is the name for Christmas in Ethiopia. Like many other Orthodox's who use the Julian calendar Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. Which is different to the Gregorian calendar which celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Christmas is a special celebration in Ethiopia. The celebration for many is started with a fast the day before with the service proceeding around 4am the next morning. At the Church men and women sit separately, many dressed in their traditional white costume (shamma). In Ethiopian Churches, many of the congratulation are sat or stood outdoors where they can be heard chanting and praying throughout. Sounds are provided by the choir and the priest who use a sistrum a percussion instrument with tinkling metal disks, makamiya, a long T-shaped prayer stick to keep the rhythm and church drums. The congratulation are given candles to burn and hold during the services. The word comes from 'Gennana', meaning “imminent” to express the coming of the Lord and the freeing of mankind from sin. Genna is also the name given to a hockey-like ball game. Legend has it that when shepherds heard of the birth of Christ they rejoiced and started playing the game with their sticks. In some villages men and boys still play the traditional Genna game on Christmas day. But in the old days, it used to be the kings, the princes, and all the high-ranking members of a community that used to come down to the fields to play with ordinary community members. There is always so much fun during the game and the high ranking members won’t consider it disrespectful as they get kicked by the ordinary members. It is the same today, and the young pushing the old will not be considered disrespectful. On the game field, everyone stands equal and just focus on having fun. There is actually a saying in Amharic which literary means “the kings and the lords will not get furious on the game of Christmas.” #MelkamGena #Imenent #RuhusBealLidet #EKuOdun #MerryChristmas #Ethiopia #Africa #DayOfGlory #YegenaChewata https://www.instagram.com/p/CYb9pq9PjIE/?utm_medium=tumblr