Gena (Christmass) – 7th January

If you find yourself in Ethiopia early around 7^th of January, you can celebrate Genna which is the Orthodox Christmas. Genna is strictly a religious experience- you won’t find people exchanging gifts or piles of wrapping paper in the shops.

The highland town of Lalibela is the highlight for Genna. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to a huge complex of churches carved directly into the mountain rock, hundreds of years old and reportedly built in a day by angels according to Orthodox believers.

Genna is marked by late-night services performed by priests singing centuries-old hymns in the ancient language of Ge’ez used by the church. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather to watch the ceremony, all swathed in white. Set against the remote landscape of the Lasta mountains, the religious fervor felt by Ethiopians reverberates everywhere.

A light meal is taken at daybreak to mark the end of 40 days of fasting followed by a rich red spicy chicken stew known as doro wat– topped with an egg. A game similar to hockey– also known as Genna is played in the afternoon.