The holiday season is upon us.
If you find yourself in Addis Ababa and longing for a bit of the holiday spirit– as I did when I lived in Ethiopia – the distance can further be compounded by the general population’s overall indifference to some of the western world’s most beloved holidays (for example, Thanksgiving and New Year’s). This is of course with good reason – either the holiday has no historical or cultural significance, or Ethiopia simply celebrates the holiday according to its own calendar, as it does for Christmas (held January 7) and New Year (held September 11).
If you are away from the familiarity, and the sights, sounds, and smells of the holiday season – the garland and tinsel, packed shopping malls, eagerness to welcome the upcoming new year, delicious leftovers, and more – consider this a home-away-from-home guide… how a member of the diaspora who wants to feel a little closer to the (mostly) commercial-festiveness of the western December and January can do so in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
1. Gather up loved ones for a Holiday-giving.
The holidays’ hallmark feature for many is having food with family. Why miss out from the annual tradition? Throw a “Friendsgiving” lunch or dinner with your friends and family in Addis! You can include a potluck-style meal, games, and speakers blasting feel-good music. In remaining intentional to the holiday spirit of giving thanks, you can use it as an opportunity to thank friends and family for helping contribute to a familial and welcoming atmosphere far from home.
2. ‘Tis the season for a Bazaar!
From the Holiday Bazaar at the Addis Ababa Exhibition Center to the German Embassy School Christmas Bazaar, and so many in between, Addis Ababa is filled with bazaars between the months of December and January. The bazaars are perfect for indulging in holiday-related trinkets and treats and basking in the holiday atmosphere with other shoppers (both locals and those here for #DiasporaDecember). Facebook event pages (look here and here) serve as a primary resource on the who, what, when, and where of the yearly happenings. Enjoy!
3. Hotel-hop to take in some decorations.
Okay so hotels aren’t the only places that are decorated to the nines during the holiday season but I find they cater to their patrons by offering cozy yet lavish displays of all-things-Christmas. Think Christmas trees, gingerbread houses made with actual gingerbread, wreaths, Christmas music played live or through overhead speakers—the works! Take in the sights along with your macchiato.
4. Find a religious service to attend.
If your association to the holiday season is a religious one, you will be happy to know that you can sing along to the English Christmas carols you have learned to love at houses of worship across Addis Ababa. I longed to join a chorus of “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night” and was pleased to do so at an international church in Addis. Join in on the fellowship, sermons, and candle-lighting at one of the many options for Christmas Eve and Christmas services across the city.
5. #DiasporaDecember-it until the New Year.
The concept of “Diaspora December” is essentially that there is an influx of members of the diaspora that return to Ethiopia during the month of December to work and play (I am indebted to the coiner of the term for its catchiness). Due to this somewhat continent-wide phenomenon, you are indeed more than likely to run into someone you know and love. And what’s more fun than celebrating with folks you know from abroad on a holiday whose premise is almost entirely based on celebration? So here’s a toast to you, New Year’s Eve, and a toast to the growing list of venues in Addis that recognize all the revelers passing through or living in the city that want to party like it’s 1999.
Once you are in the new year, you will be met with two major Ethiopian holidays: Gena, or Christmas (following the Orthodox Christian calendar), and Timket, or Epiphany. Indeed for those of you who celebrate, let it be family-and/or-friend-filled, joyous, and meaningful!
I hope these suggestions will enhance your holiday experiences in Ethiopia for years to come!
This post was originally posted by me on EthiopianDiasporaFellowship.org and has been reposted and edited here.