Planning Your Visit In Lalibela
As the world resonates to the sound of chimes and jingle bells, echoing the approach of Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ, the priests and deacons of Lalibela are busy preparing their sistrums and drums for “Genna”, the Ethiopian Christmas, which falls on January 7.
Genna holds a special place among the people of Lalibela, as it not only commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ but also celebrates the birth of Lalibela’s greatest king, King Lalibela himself. On the eve of January 7th, this historic town is filled with pilgrims and tourists who come from surrounding towns and from all over the world to attend this special festival. Much like a bride preparing for her wedding day, Lalibela is adorned with colorful flags and the sounds of religious music, creating an atmosphere of celebration and joy.
The celebration is known shortly as “ቤዛ ኩሉ” or “ቤዛ ኩሉ አለም ዮም ተወልደ” in Geez, which translates to “The Redeemer of the World has been Born”, which is also a verse of the religious song that is repeated all night during the ceremony.
The celebrations continue throughout the night until 10:00 AM the following morning, which will be marked by breaking the fast with Doro Wat and various traditional Ethiopian dishes.
The main religious ceremony takes place in Bet-Mariam, the “House of Mary,” which is the first of the 11 Rock-Hewn churches that King Lalibela constructed with his own hands some 900 years ago. There, the priests and deacons of Lalibela, dressed in their distinctive “Jano”, white robes with a diagonal red stripe, and “Timtams”, headwear, stand on the rock fence that surrounds the House of Mary, singing hymns and religious music that signal the birth of Jesus Christ. The pilgrims and clergy gathered in the courtyard below echo these songs. The deacons and priests above represent the angels who sang with gratitude from the heavens, while the people below represent the shepherds who rejoiced upon hearing of the Savior’s birth.
How many days does the holiday take?
Four to five full days allow you to experience the sites and sounds of the Mother City at a leisurely pace. Stay longer if you’d like and use the city as a base to explore the beautiful, surrounding areas in the Western Cape, such as the wine region of Stellenbosch.
