Ethiopian New Year

/St. John`s Day/

As a year passes and a new one comes, we welcome it by observing St. John the Baptist`s day on the first day of our first month (Meskerem) which falls on the 12th of September 2007 for this year for the 13th month of Ethiopia, has 6 days for the outgoing year. St. John rose at the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament since he was called to preach the coming closer of the kingdom of God. This explains why Ethiopian scholars of the church have canonized to observe the first day of our first month in his name.

We call it Rilise Awament in Geez to mean Topmost holiday in the sense that it heralds the new age by closing the old one. In Amharic, we call it Enkutatash and/or Kidus Yohannes (St. John`s day) .

The Age since creation are divided into two basic parts-the old Testamental year of curse and the New testamental year of Grace. The New Year`s Day is the rememberance of the beginning of the year of Grace.

History has it that the Ethiopian Queen sheba paid a visit to king Solomon of Israel. As she presented him different gifts, he also gave her pear to her finger. This thus gave the Amharic name Enkutatash. It is related that the two diginitaries met in this month and the first day is devoted to remembering their contact in addition to its above-mentioned purpose with regard to the ages.

Even the time in which the earth becomes so colorful with flowers heralds the beginning of a new season. The heavy rainy season ends and a brighter colourful season decorated with flowers comes in. Thus, gifts of flowers are offered by children to families and neighbours following the example of Solomon and Sheba.

The most important thing is the lesson we draw from this for our lives. As the old year is gone and the new one is in, we have to also leave aside our old life of sin and start to walk with God. We need to make a spiritual and secular renewal. The first is achievable by living up to the word of God and the second by working haged to write off the back-breaking poverty we have been living with.

As we are beginning a new millennium, we have to pay due attention to the positive contributions our fathers and mothers made in need to build on it and also make our own contributions. We should try to fill gaps by heeding the voices of the ages. The church should be in the vanguard towards alleviating poverty in the country following the example of industry which monastic life has set. With God, we can indeed make a difference, which enriches both the spirit and the flesh. Let us pray and work for this to see a blessed world and a blessed Ethiopia. Happy New Year!

Happy Millenium! Amen!!

Praise be to Almighty God Amen!!