** Pasial celebrations in Ethiopia: between tradition and socio -political context **
Easter Easter festivities are of significant cultural and spiritual importance, especially for Orthodox Christians, which make up almost 40 % of the country’s population. Each year, at Easter time, millions of Ethiopians gather to celebrate this period marked by prayer, reflection and culinary traditions deeply rooted in the history of the country.
In Daba’s cuisine, a 75 -year -old Ethiopian, the preparation of Gulban, a traditional dish, embodies this cultural wealth. This simple dish, composed of wheat and pea, without added spices, symbolizes the counting of Jesus Christ. For Daba, cooking the Gulban is more than a gastronomic act: it is a transmission of ancestral knowledge, an intergenerational link that recalls moments shared with its grandmother and its great-grandmother. She spends an hour of her time there, thus integrating a form of devotion into the daily routine.
It is also a favorable moment for prayer, which occupies a central place during the fasting preceding the Pascales festivals. Daba evokes her daily prayers, first sent to herself, then to her family, and finally to all Ethiopians, especially those who suffer. This need to pray for others testifies to a solidarity deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture. However, this quest for peace and harmony cannot obscure the complex context in which this celebration is written.
The end of the war in the Tiger in November 2022, although marking a stage towards the reduction of violent hostilities, left an indelible footprint on the social fabric of the region. The persistence of political tensions between different factions and the violence suffered by the populations in the Amhara region raise questions about the sustainability of peace in Ethiopia. Easter celebrations, far from being only a moment of celebration, thus deploy strata of emotions mixing hope and concern.
Daba, while evoking everyday difficulties, is resilient and determined to maintain the spirit of the party. “We must be good, and good friends,” she said, emphasizing a desire shared between the Ethiopians, which aspires to a peaceful coexistence. Its reference to the ten commandments, which it recognizes difficult to follow in a world marked by fracture and conflict, poses a crucial question: how to reconcile spiritual and ethical values with the realities of a sometimes tumultuous daily life?
In this same vein, it appears relevant to explore how traditions, by reaffirming the humanist values they profess, can contribute to national reconciliation. The role of religious leaders and traditional communities could be central in this dynamic, helping them to forge bridges between the different factions and to appease existing tensions.
Because it is important to recall that religious diversity in Ethiopia, where Islam brings together around 33 % of the population, also represents a wealth. The peaceful cohabitation of these beliefs is essential to build a resilient society, capable of facing the challenges of the present while being part of a common history.
At the yardstick of the Pascale celebrations, while Daba prepares its traditional dish and offers its prayers, it is appropriate to think about what unites, rather than what divides. In a country where the strata of collective identity are as diverse as they are complex, Passover could be seen as an opportunity for reconciliation, an invitation to dialogue, despite the challenges that can be met. This bridge, between tradition and adaptation to contemporary issues, could become the key to more united and peaceful Ethiopia.