This is part two of “Drinking Coffee The Ethiopian Way” about the importance of coffee in Ethiopia, focusing on the coffee ceremony. Continue reading “Drinking Coffee The Ethiopian Way: Part 2”

The Importance of Coffee in Ethiopia; History of Coffee Continue reading “Drinking Coffee the Ethiopian Way: Part 1”

When many people think of Ethiopia, they think of the ancient archaeological finds, the bustling city of Addis Ababa where life is lived on the streets, or the rock-cut Christian churches of Lalibela still standing since the 12th–13th centuries. But, keep reading…here are a few things you may not know:

Coffee

Many of us rely on that first cup of coffee to get us going. We have Ethiopia to thank for this! As the story goes, a long, long time ago, a goat herder saw his flock eating a certain plant, after which they were noticeably more energetic. He gave the fruit a nibble himself…and the coffee industry was born.

Calendars

Many cultures have their own calendars instead of the Western Gregorian calendar. And most follow the ’12 months to a year format. Not Ethiopia! Each year in the Ethiopian calendar has 12 months with 30 days. The last month, called “Pagume,” has five days (or six on leap years.) Ethiopia computed the birth of Jesus Christ believing that Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden for seven years, and therefore, Ethiopia has a different year than the Gregorian calendar, as well. They’re seven years behind, so this year in the United States is 2022. In Ethiopia, it’s only 2015.

Colonization

Finally, Ethiopia, Africa’s oldest independent country, is the only country in Africa that has never been colonized. On March first, almost 125 years ago, an army of civilians defended themselves against the Italians thereby allowing Ethiopia to be recognized as an independent state. During World War II, Italy again occupied Ethiopia but never established control.

There are so many reasons to love Ethiopia! Today’s blog post is a quick tour of a few of the MANY special characteristics that shape Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has a nearly 70-year history with the summer Olympic games, having first participated in 1956. Over the years Ethiopia has won 55 medals in summer Olympic games, all in long-distance “athletics” or running events. This is likely no surprise… Ethiopia is well-known as a country with many exceptionally talented and gifted distance runners.

But it wasn’t until 2006 that Ethiopia first joined in the winter games in Toronto, Canada. Ethiopia then participated in the winter games again in Turin, Italy in 2010. The same athlete, Robel Teklemariam, a cross-country skier, participated in both games but did not medal. You can read a little more about Robel in Tadias Magazine

This year Ethiopia does not have a delegate in Beijing. Do you think Ethiopia will be represented in 2026 in Italy? We sure hope so!

Roots Ethiopia works in the SNNPR region of Ethiopia: The Southern Nation Nationalities and People’s Region. The area borders Kenya to the south, South Sudan to the west, and other regions of Ethiopia to the north and east. Continue reading “The Incredible SNNPR”