12th May 2009

It was the Virgin Mary’s birthday last weekend.

This may not actually be true, I haven’t managed to Google it (and, to my Grandmother’s disappointment, I obviously didn’t listen in my Holy Communion classes so I don’t actually know) but it was what I was told we were celebrating on Saturday.

Lalibela has more holidays than anywhere I have ever been – or maybe it just seems that way. Every month there are 4 Saints Days that are observed in the rural areas (less so in the main town - the bank is still open, and everyone works). These Saints days celebrate the Virgin Mary, St. Michael, Saviour of the World (Jesus) and God. Occasionally I find them slightly frustrating as it means all the construction work on the new school stops, however, generally people offer you nice food and drink to celebrate, so there are compensations!

This Saturday, the way to celebrate was apparently to make and drink lots of coffee. The coffee ceremony is very important in Ethiopian culture – both as an everyday thing, but also for celebrations and to welcome guests. The ceremony can be a very elaborate thing, spreading grass on the ground, roasting the coffee beans and burning incense, before pouring the required 3 cups of coffee.

In the morning I wandered down to the Seven Olives Hotel (great terrace to have a drink on, by the way) and some of the staff were doing a coffee ceremony behind a large floral sheet fitted up as a kind of screen. I couldn’t see what was going on, but that delicious coffee smell I love wafted out every so often.

I thought they’d just hung up the sheet to give themselves some privacy from guests, but when I got back to my compound, the guard’s sons, H and G were also doing industrious things with bedsheets and large rocks outside the office.

All became clear later when I came down the steps from my house and saw that the entrance area to the office had been turned into a kind of den. It turns out that the coffee making on this Saints Day is done outside, but under in a shelter, to remember how Mary had to make shelters for her family (although I’m guessing Joseph probably helped out too) while they were escaping to Egypt.

So we sat on the cushions and mats inside the little den while A’s girlfriend made coffee and passed around some popcorn (my favourite part of the coffee ceremony).

I’ve been so lucky that during the time I’ve been in Ethiopia I’ve always been able to experience these celebrations as a member of the community rather than a tourist (even if I don’t blend in completely) and that’s entirely down to the generosity and hospitality of the Ethiopians I know. They put up with my stupid questions, and are always happy to explain the reasoning behind what they are doing.

I wish I’d been able to reciprocate when they asked me to explain exactly why we pull Crackers at Christmas. I still have absolutely no idea!