Ethiopian culture

      Marwa Abdulah

Professor Maltman

English 1101

                                        Ethiopian culture

Ethiopia is a beautiful land; it is a country with a culture and traditions for more than 4,000 years. Ethiopia is like many other African countries that has multiple religions and languages. The languages spoken in Ethiopia falling into four groups with more than 150 different dialects; the first group and the one that hooked me and my interest and attention is my best friends group. My best friend name is Elsa and she came from Amhara and she said, “My great group accounts about 19.8 million people, Oroma are bigger than that which is estimated about 25.5 million also there is Tigre and Somali.” The main language spoken in the central part of the country is Amharic; other main languages are Tigrigna, Guraginya, Afan Oromo, Somalinya, Gumuz and Anuak. Nationalities estimated to around 80 million. The religion in Ethiopia is Islamic and Christianity. Knowing the groups takes us to learn about the group which most grow the Tef, the main dish in Ethiopia the Amharic. From an Amharic woman I learned.

I love the Ethiopian food and especially the main dish that became very popular in the U.S.A and especially in the areas where Ethiopian people gathered and it is the Injera. One of My favorite restaurants is the Blue Nile Ethiopian restaurant that is located near the corner of Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis, that restaurant makes the best Injera dish. Injera is made from cereal grain that is unique and known as Tef. All Ethiopian people eat Tef Ingera as main dish according to Elsa. She said, “Tef is containing variety of healthy nutrition’s vitamins and minerals like Iron, calcium, potassium and other grains.” When I go to this restaurant with my friend I always order Injera and I eat it in their house as well. Elsa’s mother made Injera at home and save them Dollars, she said, “ my mother helped me a lot with everything I saved a lot of money by keeping my kids home with her and I also saved money from getting Injera from outside. My mother poured that batter in the oven to cook after it sits so the yeast can become active” and that how Injera made. When I ask her questions about her country and its tradition, I feel like I am in Ethiopia the way she describes the streets and the markets in her country plus the smell of the food makes me feel like I am in that world, the spicy food with the description of the hot weather makes me feel worm. Elsa holds a big love in her heart for her country she almost always cries when she talks about it. It’s the place where she and 4 of her siblings grew up she drank from the Ethiopia’s water she breathe its air and she lived in that land for so long. She came to U.S.A 10 years ago and finally she was able to bring her mother, father and her sister. Elsa is the one who made this culture lovable to me. From the languages and the food to the clothes.

Women in Ethiopia wear the traditional Habesha qemis which takes 2 to 3 weeks to sew. Men wear shirts that are a knee length with pants they also wear long socks that goes up to the knee in the other hand women may not wear socks at all. Instead they cover their head with a shash. Shash is a cloth that tied at the neck. Among Muslim and Christian women this fabric is common. Old women wear the shash every day but other female ages wear it when attending church.

I can’t wait until its April 24; I am going to Elsa’s house to celebrate with them the orthodox Easter all her family, relatives, and friends are coming. I will connect all the culture pictures to the people and what they do in a great holyday like this.