Ganna - Christmas Blog Post Swap #4

Merry Christmas!!

This week, Shelley, Hannah, Rachel, and I are posting our final post to our Christmas series on our own blogs.  

This week, I researched what an Ethiopian Christmas is like.

In Ethiopia, the people use the Julian calendar.  That means they celebrate Christmas on January 7.  Christmas is called "Ganna" in Ethiopia.  The major religion in Ethiopia is the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.  Almost everyone celebrates Christmas.

On Christmas Eve (January 6), many people fast.  Then at dawn, they get ready for mass.  They dress in "shamma," a long, thin white toga with bright colored strips across the end.  Mass starts at 4 in the morning.  They enter the church and walk around the church three times with lit candles.  Then the men and boys stand separately from the women and girls, as the traditional Ethiopian Orthodox churches have no seats.  Mass usually lasts three hours.

After mass, the men and boys will play a game of "ganna," similar to hockey.  The game is intense with rivalry.  

The people in Ethiopia will break their fast with a Christmas meal.  This is often is "wat" on "injera."  Wat is a thick, spicy stew of meat (chicken) and vegetables.  Injera is flat bread, used to scoop up the wat.

People do not exchange gifts on Christmas.  Sometimes the children will receive a gift of clothes from their family.  Mostly, Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth by going to church, eating good food, and playing games.

Twelve days later, they traditionally celebrate the baptism of Jesus.  This is called "timkat."  It lasts three days.  They usually attend a church procession during timkat.  The priests will wear red and white robes.  The adults wear the shamma.  The youth wear gowns from their church youth group.  During the procession, musical instruments are played.  

After the long church service, men play a game called "yeferas guks."  This sounds like a rather dangerous game, as the men throw lances at each other!

Christmas in Ethiopia is a time of celebration, remembering the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world.  While the festivities are different than those in the USA, the origin of the holiday remains the same.  

This Christmas, I remember my kiddos all over the world and think of the different ways they may have celebrated.  And I look forward to sending Abdisa a special letter on Ganna.

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read my posts from this Christmas series about Christmas celebrations in other countries -

Because of Shamim: Christmas Series (Indonesia)

Free and Holy: Christmas Blog Swap II (Haiti)

Christmas Blog Swap: Love is an Action | Unforced Rhythms of Grace (Mexico)

Christmas Love - Christmas Blog Post Swap #3

It's Tuesday again, which means it's time for Christmas Blog Post Swap #3!!

I am honored and excited to have Shelley posting over here today!  Shelley is a Bible college student and Compassion sponsor!  She shares about her adventures on her blog Unforced Rhythms of Grace

I find Christmas pretty strange in some ways, especially now that I'm 'growing up'. Even though I've been a Christian since the age of 13, a lot of my teenage mind was still wrapped up in the idea of presents, good food and more presents. Now I'm a 'grown up' at 21, and as Christmas is literally just around the corner, I can honestly say that the presents aren't that much of a big deal. 

We celebrate Christmas day at church - my family, along with another family that we are very close friends with, cook Christmas dinner for 20-25 people - those in the church who would otherwise be on their own on this special day - and we eat together, the children open presents, we all watch a movie and then we have tea and go home. And it has been through doing this, and spending the holiday with those who often get overlooked, that I've started to realise that there really is so much more to Christmas, and I've learned firsthand a lot more about loving those who society writes off. 

The older I get, the more I'm learning about love, and this year has taught me an especially powerful lesson. Recently, I was listening to the radio and "Drunk" by Ed Sheeran came on. One of the lines in the song says "I'll be drunk again, to feel a little love".

As I get older, I've learned firsthand that I don't need to do anything or be anything to 'get' God's love, because love was born into a stable in a little rundown town over 2,000 years ago.

Shelley

You can read my post (Christmas Blog Swap: Love is an Action | Unforced Rhythms of Grace) over on Shelley's blog - Unforced Rhythms of Grace  Make sure to check out her blog as she's got so many great posts!

A Stop at Bethlehem - Christmas Blog Post Swap #2

It's time for post two of the Christmas blog post swap!  (uh-oh, you know that means Christmas is just 2 weeks away!)

I am thrilled to finally have my sister posting over here!  Rachel is a senior in high school, an intern at on our church's media team, a blogger, a sister, a friend, a pianist, an artist, and most importantly a follower of Jesus!  She blogs at Free and Holy.  Without further adieu, my sis's amazing post -  

"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." Matthew 2:5-7

One line, that's all that it get. One phrase -- "there was no place for them in the inn." Do you ever wonder about the innkeeper that night? The man, who was lucky enough to be making a fortune during the Roman census. Everyone was traveling to their birth town, and many needed a place to stay. The innkeeper's business was booming. That evening inside the inn was bright with a cheery hearth and friendly laughter. Childhood friends reunite around the table. For a moment, the people forget about their troubles, the worries that follow them on their journey. And the innkeeper's life, and pocket, is full.

But suddenly, he hears pounding at the door. It's clipped, urgent. Of course, who isn't trying to hurry out of the cold darkness? The innkeeper sends a servant to the door to tell the travelers the bad news. The inn is full. There is no more room. The innkeeper turns back to his guests, but it is only a moment before the servant pulls him away. He beckons him towards the door. Sighing, the innkeeper walks over.

Before he can turn the travelers away, he catches a glimpse of a woman, fear in her eyes, shivering in the cold. She's pregnant. The man at the door asks for a room. He looks scared. Desperate. But there's no room. There's nowhere for them to go.

The woman looks even more tired, more frightened. And the husband begs for a room. They're alone in a town far away from home. And the innkeeper feels bad. Sighing, he looks around. There really is no room. The rooms are packed beyond capacity. In fact, the animals in the stable have more room to sleep than the people... His mind doubles back. He's embarrassed to even mention it. Sleep in a stable? It would be shameful to offer that sort of accommodations. Yet, they won't be able to find a room in Bethlehem. Every bed and floor in the town is full. 

Reluctantly, the innkeeper offers his stable to the anxious couple. They quickly accept. And the innkeeper sheepishly leads them to it.

Everyone makes the innkeeper out as a sort of bad guy, you know? He's the guy who refused a room to the King of Kings. He's the man who didn't have room in his life for the Messiah. But, the truth is, this innkeeper did the best he could, with what he knew. All he knew was that a young couple needed a room. He didn't have one, but he made a way with what he had.

And what if he'd known that God Himself was about to be born in that stable? He would have cleared out that inn and served Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus hand and foot. But he didn't know. So he gave them a stable.

I know. I know Who was born that night. I know how He went and lived, and then died, and rose for me. The question is, do I turn my heart over to Him completely, or am I willing to only give Him a stable -- a tiny portion of my heart? The innkeeper didn't know. But I do. What will I do with what I know? 

I am guesting posting over at Free and Holy today.  Hop over and check it out, and then spend some time reading Rachel's posts too!

Christmas Countdown - Christmas Blog Post Swap #1

For the weeks leading up to Christmas, Hannah, Rachel, Shelley, and I are doing a Christmas Blog Post Swap!

Today, I am excited to have Hannah guest posting!  Hannah is a wife, mom, Compassion sponsor, and Christ-follower.  She blogs at Because of Shamim

Christmas Traditions: Advent

I have many fond memories of Christmas traditions that my family had while I was a kid and thought that I'd share them over this Christmas series! Not only will this allow me to reminisce over my childhood, but it will help me to think through what I would like my kids to experience as traditions! The first tradition that I'd like to share is our tradition of celebrating Advent.

We loved lighting the advent candles in the wreath and that the candles represented different themes of Christmas. My family would set aside time each evening to sing Christmas carols and read a part of the Christmas story. Then we would take turns snuffing the candles. When I was in high-school, my sister and I created Christmas carol song books…one for each family member! I love the old carols…they have such beautiful poetry!

When we were younger, my mom had an advent calendar with pockets for small gifts. One year she put clay in each one and my siblings and I each took a turn opening the clay and making a nativity scene figure. I think I opened the donkey and Mary! Although my son is only 1.5 years old, I am hoping to start this tradition for him this year! My mom gave him a small nativity calendar with pockets and a cloth nativity figure in each pocket! I think I might also put a sticker in each pocket since he's big into stickers.

My family also enjoyed reading fun advent stories. Have you ever heard of the stories Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage, and Tabitha's Travels by Arnold Yteeide? These are fun family stories about children who have adventures and whose adventures lead to the child being present right after the birth of Christ. The first story is Jotham's Journey and Jotham turns out to be a distant relative of the Christ child. These stories are fun and exciting for school-age children!

I look forward to incorporating more and more advent themed activities with my children as they get older! And I enjoyed writing to my Compassion kids about our advent tradition of the wreath, singing songs and reading the Christmas story. I shared what each candle stood for and asked our Compassion kids if they had Christmas count-down traditions that helped them remember that Christmas was about Christ's birth!

Do you have any advent traditions?

Hop on over to  Because of Shamim to read my Christmas post (Because of Shamim: Christmas Series), and then spend some time checking out Hannah's blog :)