Enkutatash Overseas

Historians and the clergy have their own versions why Ethiopians mark their New Year, a.k.a Enkutatash, on September 11 every year. But perennial climate changes, such as the end of the rainy seasons, followed by days of sunshine and the appearance of yellow lilies across the country mean there is no better time than this for the holiday. The green fields are covered by growing crops, swaying back and forth in the breeze, instilling a glimmer of hope in the minds of people expecting things to change for the better.

These feelings inspire creativity in children’s minds to narrate stories that express their wishes and desires for the years to come. A little girl makes a call to her friends. She wants them to stay in line until she comes back fetching wood to use for building a little cottage.

She has no fence, never mind shelter, and spends the night outdoors counting the stars. Her stepmother would scold her on her return from the woods and so goes the story of the little girl and her encounters.

This prose is sung by the little girls under the title “Abebayehosh” the chorus being “Lem Lem”. One can sense the beautiful weather implied in the song indicating that the little girl can spend the night outside, looking up at the dark sky adorned by bright stars.

Here in Europe, particularly inBrussels,Belgium, the weather is not indicative of the surge of a new year. In fact, some trees are shedding their leaves, signalling the coming of the season when the days get colder and shorter.

We hear no birds of a feather flocking or singing nor do we see any wild flower blossoming. We see no children singing “Abebayehosh”. September 11 was the New Year day for Ethiopians only until 12 years ago. The 9/11 atrocities that killed over 3,000 people in theUSare remembered as a black day that disgraced the history of mankind. Ever since then, Ethiopians in the Diaspora mark the day with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow.

This year, September 11 fell on a Wednesday, the middle of a working week and a day of fasting for many Christians. They abstain from eating fatty food, the type of food many Ethiopians favour during holidays such as the New Year. Fatty food is not eaten during the holidays only. One day is as good as another unless that day falls outside the Lent period.

But what makes it special during the holidays is that slaughtering sheep, goats, oxen or even chickens is performed as a part of the celebrations, as shedding blood is a bid for good omens. Slaying animals may be taken as something natural for any carnivorous animal to carry out in a civilized manner, considering all what it takes from choosing the colour of the feather of the fowl or herd, bargaining prices, the actual slaying to the form of disbursement in the case of oxen which extends to the way of dispensing the hides or skins.

InEurope, these options are almost distant luxuries to enjoy. In very rare cases, special permit from local offices could be issued to people raising cattle in farms to slaughter animals. The simplest way of getting meat is to go to the abattoir or butchery and acquire as much as one would want for going all the extra ritual connecting to the shedding blood aside.

Eating meat or drinking local brew alone does not mean much. People’s attitude towards major holidays like the New Year or Easter is really what makes a holiday more meaningful.

For instance, driving herds through the streets of Addis Abeba, selling green grass and poultry or torches made from twigs (chibbo) and the like are little things but are important factors that draw people’s attentions and spark the ignition of a holiday.

Ethiopians make distant telephone calls to express their felicitations to their parents and friends. By the way, this year, it was difficult to connect due to network disorder.

In many cases, Ethiopians in the Diaspora make it a solemn point to remit some money for their needy family members who are these days very much  demanding because of rising cost of living. This also amplifies the glory of the New Year Holiday that keeps both Ethiopians at home and in the Diaspora in a tight bondage in blood and soul. This is not to forget that many recipients of the remittance squander money on smoking cigarettes chewing chat and consuming drugs and liquor.

Nevertheless, Ethiopians living in Brusseles and visitors fromEthiopiaalike have spent their free times both on Saturday and Sunday together. Some parents were trying to sing “Abebayehosh” with their children around bonfires. Some children felt sorry for the little girl who slept outside – in the anecdote of Abebayehosh – and wondered why her step mother would get mad with the little girl.

Parents spent long hours watching ETV and listening to “Sheger Radio” and watching the Afan Oromo TV  channel which are in a much better shape here in Brussels.  Some families have tried to bake bread or even cakes in their own homes to be shared by all members of the family. The coffee making ceremony was also the main centre of focus during the New Year get together occasion.

Towards the late hours of the day, a drive to a cozy restaurant where the New Year was colourfully celebrated was the main pleasing event for the day. “Toukoul” is the name given to the little restaurant that had started operation late last year. The name derives from the Afar language, according to the 36 year old owner Architect Haile Leul Abebe, the enterprising young businessman.

The restaurant serves fully Ethiopian recipe with more than two dozens of various dishes. The most favoured experience is to use bare hands to roll to wrap and roll minced meat and other types of stew with injera. The owner says that tourists and regular customers who eat food as an enjoyment act come to Toukoul with a spirit of tasting the Ethiopian traditional food and enjoying to use their fingers instead of forks.

The restaurant accommodates some 80 customers at a time but many Europeans call ahead of time to have reservations. Much as Ethiopians spend time and caution to cook “doro wat” as a predominant dish, minced meat or kitfo with a soaking amount of spiced butter is favoured no less.

Toukoul, which is conveniently located near the centre ofBrussels, at Rue du Marronnier 1, 1000Brussels, has ample space for parking vehicles at the road side nearby. Tourists from all corners of the world wanting to dine and wine after touring at theGrand Placeand the nearby attractions visit Toukoul to taste some of the Ethiopian favourite dishes particularly reputed for their spicy tastes and the special way they are mouthed in.

That evening Ethiopians gathered wearing their national costumes drawing much attention of other gazing guests. The ‘gursha’ feat was another magnetic force of viewers.

There was a soft instrumental musical background being heard in the background. Those guests who were chatting about their nostalgic experiences seemed to be carried away in their own low-voiced discussions broken by interval sips of local brews.

After dinner was served and tables were cleared the ceremonious making coffee ritual went on before singing and group chatting took place for hours, much to the surprise of all present including the 20 or so Ethiopian employees working in the restaurant. The chatting eventually died out and was replaced by almost complete serenity and silence perhaps with the deep feeling of homesickness as the back ground music “Mech’e Ne’w Zar’ie Ne’w, Ager’ien Yemay’ew” by Mahmud Ahmed was played.


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