We were completely unaware, before to traveling to Ethiopia, that Ethiopians observe a different calendar and that New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day fall on September 10 and 11! We consider ourselves quite fortunate to have arrived in Ethiopia at this particular time, and even more fortunate to have received an invitation to celebrate this occasion with a local family. The family home is where most people celebrate the New Year. You can find out more about the night we had the good fortune to meet Kassahun in our second video. We were graciously invited by Kassahun and his family to join them in celebrating the New Year at his mother’s home in the Oromia Region, a little distance outside of Addis Ababa. We didn’t have a toothbrush or a change of clothes because we didn’t realize we would be staying there for the night, so it was truly a unique experience. But that didn’t matter because Hanna was given some cozy pajamas by Kassahun’s family, who were incredibly kind! We were able to see and learn about the yearly customs of this Ethiopian family by spending the New Year’s Eve with them, so we thought we would share with you the specifics of what takes place on those two days. So that you will know what to anticipate if you wind up like us!
