Ethiopia

Signature traditions

• 1.Christmas falls on January 7 because the Ethiopian Orthodox Church uses an ancient calendar
• 2.A 43-day fast (Tsome Nebiyat) precedes Christmas — vegan diet only
• 3.Wearing a netela (a white cotton shawl) to attend overnight church services on Christmas Eve
• 4.Playing genna — a traditional hockey-like game on Christmas Day, said to date back to shepherds celebrating Christ's birth
• 5.Communal meals shared from a single mesob (woven basket table)

What's on the table

Doro wat and injera

After 43 days of fasting, Christmas dinner is a feast: doro wat (spicy chicken stew with hard-boiled eggs), tibs (sautéed meat), and injera (the spongy sourdough flatbread that serves as both plate and utensil).

The iconic decoration

Church candles and white shawls

Decoration is religious rather than secular. Churches are illuminated with candles for the all-night service. Worshippers wear white netela shawls, symbolizing purity, creating striking visual unity.

How gifts are given

Gift-giving is modest compared to Western traditions — small presents may be exchanged within families, but the focus is on community meals and church attendance.