Of Course They Know

Bob Geldof and Live Aid certainly had their hearts in the right place with their 1984-85 campaign to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. But the thing that’s always bothered us is the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

Of course they do! That’s because Christmas is one of the biggest annual holidays (and holy days) in Ethiopia. And it has been for more than a thousand years — long before anyone was celebrating yuletide on this side of the Atlantic.

Called Genna in Ethiopia, Christmas is one of the most joyous times of year among the nation’s 40 million plus Orthodox Christians. Because Ethiopia follows the Julian rather than the Gregorian calendar, the holiday takes place on January 7th rather than December 25th.

Ethiopians celebrate Genna by wearing white garments, going to church, breaking their pre-holiday fast with a lavish meal, drinking a honey-infused wine called tej, exchanging small gifts, hanging out with family and friends, and playing a field-hockey-like game called Ye Genna Chewata.

Jacaranda Tours can organize a bespoke journey to visit the holy city of Lalibela during Genna — http://jacarandatours.com/special.php.

By the way, we ran into Bob Geldof during our last visit to Ethiopia, arriving at little Mekelle Airport on the same plane we were flying back to Addis on. The Irish singer and humanitarian was in town to accept an honorary doctorate degree from Mekelle University. So he’s now Sir Dr. Bob!