Ethiopian Traditions

Traditions are thick in Ethiopia where people usually greet each other by bowing heads. A greeting in Ethiopia can be a long and lively process- the longer the greeting, the closer the friends. Another custom is to kiss the cheek of your friend three times when you greet them. The coffee ceremony is a sacred tradition in Ethiopia, where the beverage originated and is an integral part of the Ethiopian lifestyle. Performing the ceremony is almost a requirement when you have a visitor at any time of the day.

The people of Ethiopia wear many different types of clothing. The traditional dress of the Christian highland peasantry has traditionally been of white cotton cloth. Since the time of Emperor Tewodros 11 (mid-1800s), men have worn long, jodhpur-like trousers, a tight-fitting shirt and a shamma (loose wrap).

The Muslims of Harar, by contrast, wear very colorful dress, the men in shorts trousers and a colored wrap and the women in fine dresses of red, purple and black. The lowland Somali and Afar wear long, brightly colored cotton wraps, and the Oromo and Bale people are to be seen in the bead-decorated leather garments that reflect their economy, which is based on livestock. Costumes to some extent reflect the climates where the different groups live - highlanders, for instance, -use heavy cloth capes and wraparound blankets to combat the night chill. In the heat of the lowland plains, light cotton cloths are all that is required by men and women alike.

Ethiopians are justifiably proud of the range of their traditional costumes. The most obvious identification of the different groups is in the jeweler, the hairstyles and the embroidery of the dresses. The women of Amhara and Tigray wear dozens of plaits (sheruba) tightly braided to the head and billowing out at the shoulders. The women of Harar part their hair in the middle and make a bun behind each ear. Hamer, Geleb, Bume and Karo men form a ridge of plaited hair and clay to hold their feathered headwear in place. Arsi women have fringes and short, bobbed hair. Bale girls have the same, but cover it with a black head cloth, while young children often have their heads shaved.

Both Muslims and Christians wear jewellery in silver and gold, often with amber or glass beads incorporated. Heavy brass, copper and ivory bracelets and anklets are also worn.

"Ethiopia ‘has ensured that its culture has remained remarkably intact, unpolluted and undiluted by outside influence. The country retains its own particular language and script, its own food and drink, its own church and saints, even its own calendar and clock. Endlessly fascinating, it defies any categorization and generalization; Ethiopia is like no other country in Africa". Frances Linzee Gordon - a Scottish author