Ethiopian Christians celebrate Christmas festivity colourfully

Addis Ababa, January 7, 2023 (FBC) – Ethiopian Christians across the country celebrated Christmas (Genna), the birth of Jesus Christ colorfully.

The Ethiopian Christmas, also called Genna, is celebrated on 7 January (Tahsas 29 in the Ethiopian calendar) as the day of Jesus’ birth.

Genna is being celebrated by followers of various churches and Christians in Ethiopia including Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Catholic, Protestant and the like.

In particular, it is being colorfully celebrated by followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church at one of the world heritage sites, the Lalibela Rock-hewn Churches in Amhara region.

Tourists including Ethiopians in the Diaspora and ambassadors and representatives of different countries based in Addis Ababa among others are attending the Genna celebration in Lalibela.

Religious fathers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Ethiopian Catholic Church, and the Ethiopian Gospel Believers Churches have extended Christmas wishes to the faithful urging all to play their parts for the permanence of the peace agreement signed between the federal government and TPLF.

“Jesus Christ descended from heaven and saved the world by making peace with mankind. This act of the Creator shows mankind that there is no issue that cannot be solved through peace and reconciliation,” the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarch, His Holiness Abune Mathias said.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in his best wishes message stressed that Ethiopians would be beneficial if they are able to draw lessons from the story of the birth of Christ with a view to making the future Ethiopia better.

Similarly, many Orthodox Christians in various countries celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January.

Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, neighboring Egypt, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia and Maldova are some of the countries that celebrate Christmas on January 7 while most of the world that follows Gregorian calendar celebrates it on 25th of December.