Holy Days and holidays are periods of solemn times for the Rastafarian
community worldwide.
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The Holy days are to pray and ask for penance, fulfilling
2 Chronicles 7v14,
"If my people who are called by my name, Haile Selassie I, will humble themselves
and pray, search for me and repent of their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven
and forgive their sins and heal their land."
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January 7th - Ethiopian Christmas
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Rastafarians observe this as a holiday.
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This day represents a major Holy Day with service starting at 11am. After service,
family day celebration starts with the playing of Rasta Music (e.g., Reggae) with
eating of Corn bread, vegetables, and drinking of Wine, closing with a prayer from
the Priest.
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This day represents a holiday. On this day Ethiopia was given it first written
Constitution and is observed annually.
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In the year of John 16th of Hamle 1885 = July 23rd 1892 the birth of ‘Tafari' in
Harar, Ethiopia. Rastalogy accepts this day as the Second Advent of the Cosmic
Christ, fulfilling Isaiah Chapter 9 v6:
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, Tafari.”.
This day represents a major Holy Day; celebrated as a family day with a short
prayer service giving thanks to Yahweh, for the birth of His Son, Tafari. Service
starts 11am, followed by a celebration consisting of Rasta Music and food.
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October 7th 1928 (7 Maskaram) - Divine Kingship of Rastafari
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This day represents a Holy Day. This is when Rastafari was acclaimed ‘Negus’,
King of Ethiopia, fulfilling Isaiah 43v15, “I am the Lord Rastafari your Holy One,
Creator of Israel, your King.”. This day is celebrated quietly with short Prayer
Service starting at 11am.
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September 11th - Ethiopian New Year
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This day represents a holiday, which is, observed with a short Prayer Service
starting 11am.
Happy Ethiopian New Year (Melkam Addis Amet)
*****
September 11, 2017 of the Gregorian calendar will be September 1, 2010 as of the
Ethiopian Calendar.
Enkutatash is the name for the Ethiopian New Year, and means “gift of jewels” in
the Amharic language. The story goes back almost 3,000 years to the Queen of
Sheba of ancient Ethiopia who was returning from a trip to visit King Solomon of
Israel in Jerusalem, as mentioned in the Bible in I Kings 10 and II Chronicles 9.
She had gifted Solomon with 120 talents of gold (4.5 tons) as well as a large
amount of unique spices and jewels. When the Queen returned to Ethiopia her
chiefs welcomed her with enku or jewels to replenish her treasury.
The celebration is both religious and secular. Typically this is the end of the long
rainy season and the countryside is covered with yellow daisies. The day begins
with church services followed by the family meal. Young children will receive
small gifts of money or bread after the girls gather flowers and sing and boys
paint pictures of saints. Families visit friends and adults drink home made
Ethiopian beer.
The Ethiopian calendar is a unique form of the Coptic or Alexandrian calendar,
derived from the earlier Egyptian calendar which influenced the Julian calendar.
Why is the calendar 7-8 years different from the West’s Gregorian calendar?
In the West, the calendar was calculated around A.D. 525 by Dionysius Exegius a
Roman monk-mathematician-astronomer who based his calculations for the birth
of Christ on an erroneous date for the death of Herod the Great. But The
Ethiopian church fathers calculated their calendar based on the biblical event
from genesis up-to the birth of Christ.
© Dess Abebaw (taken around Melka Kuntre Archaeological site, ETHIOPIA). The
yellow daisies signals the end of the rainy season and the coming of the new year.
*****
Have a blessed day!
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Sunday, November 2nd 1930 – This day represents the Holy Day, the
Transfiguration Day of Negus Ras Tafari to Emperor Haile Selassie I, ‘Might of
the Trinity’; fulfilling Revelation 5v5:
“And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah,
the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals
thereof."
This day is celebrated quietly with a short Prayer Service starting 11am. Then
celebrate with Rasta music, rice and peas, vegetables, fish, and closing with a
short Prayer of thanksgiving and blessing by the Priest in-charge.
We invite the Rastafarian Community and all those who Love Justice and Hate
Aggression!
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