Culture of Ethiopia

The culture of Ethiopia is very multi-faceted. Among many traditions, respect (especially of one's elders) is very important. In Ethiopian culture it is customary to rise up out of one's seat or give up one's bed for an older friend or family member, even if they may be just a year older.

Art

Music

Clothing

Handwoven fabrics with decorative woven borders.

Traditional clothes in Ethiopia are made from traditional cloth called yahager lebse, which is made of cotton woven together in long strips. These strips are then sewn together. Sometimes shiny threads are woven into the fabric for an elegant effect (see photo) . It takes about two to three weeks to make enough cloth for a dress. The bottom of the shirt may be ornated by patterns.

Dancer in restaurant, wearing one style of traditional dress.

Men wear pants and a knee-long shirt with a white collar, and a sweater. Men as well as women wear shawls, the neTela (see photo). Women's dresses are called habasha kemis. The dresses are usually white with some colour on the bottom. Bracelets and necklaces from silver and gold are worn on arms and feet to complete the look. These traditional clothes are still worn on a day-to-day-basis in the country-side. In cities and towns, western clothes are popular; however, on special occasions, such as New Year, Christmas or weddings, traditional clothes are worn by some.

Woman wearing neTela cotton shawl with decorative trim, over western clothing.

Often, a woman will cover her head with a shash, a cloth that is tied at the neck. Shama and kuta, gauze-like white fabrics, are also often used. This is common among both Muslim and Christian women. Among the latter, elderly women will wear a shash on a day-to-day basis, while other women only wear a shash while attending church.

Cuisine

Ethiopian cuisine consists of various vegetable or meat side dishes and entrees, often prepared as a wat or thick stew. One or more servings of wat are placed upon a piece of injera, a large sourdough flatbread, which is 50 cm (20 inches) in diameter and made out of fermented teff flour. One does not eat with utensils, but instead uses injera (always with the right hand) to scoop up the entrees and side dishes. Traditional Ethiopian food does not use any pork, as most Ethiopians have historically adhered to Islam, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, or Judaism, all of which prohibit eating pork. Additionally, throughout a given year, Orthodox Christians observe numerous fasts (such as Lent), during which food is prepared without any meat or dairy products.

Sports

Ethiopia's most popular sport is Athletics, in which they win many medals for in the Olympic Games. Other sports in Ethiopia include rugby and soccer.

Media

Radio and television are under the control of the Ethiopian government. There are nine radio broadcast stations, eight AM and one shortwave, licensed to operate. The major radio broadcasting stations (all AM) are Radio Ethiopia, Radio Torch (private), Radio Voice of One Free Ethiopia, and the Voice of the Revolution of Tigray. The single television broadcast network is Ethiopian Television. In keeping with government policy, radio broadcasts occur in a variety of languages. Print media, because of high poverty levels, low literacy rates, and poor distribution outside of the capital, serve only a small portion of the population. Major daily newspapers include Addis Zemen, the Daily Monitor, and the Ethiopian Herald.

Language

The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic, a Semitic language which is spoken by about 21 million people. Amharic is written with the Ge'ez script, with derives its name from the ancient Semitic language of the same name. The Ge'ez language is extinct but is still in use by the Beta Israel Jewish community and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Another major language in Ethiopia is Oromo, a Cushitic language.