Traditionally one bundle of sticks is collected for each member of the household. When it gets sufficiently dark, each member of the household lights one of these and runs to the front of house. The burning ends are placed together, forming a bonfire. In this case, neighbours and household members lit the bundles and rushed outside the gate with them. When all bundles had been lit, a circle was formed by the ppl (the number of which had grown considerably, even a man who was passing the house on his way to somewhere else, stopped and joined in) around the bundles which looked like the spokes of a wheel, fire in the center. We then began singing and clapping and running counterclockwise around the fire. Some of the little ones were frightened at the fire and one began to cry. Another instead of running around the fires in the circle with the rest of us, headed straight for the gate to the safety of the house. We stopped after a while and just sang, well actually i didn’t sing as I didn’t know the songs. one of them sounded like the response was “lam, lam” I like that one. Clapping, lo-lo-loing, singing until finally the fire went out. We then thanked everyone for coming, exchanging kisses, handshakes and dena darews, dena dares, amasakenalos, amins, exirstilins and ciaos. This was at about 10:00. we then replaced all of the chairs and what was passing off as chairs to their rightful places, brought in the things from the coffee ceremony and the remaining dabo. We then sat on the couch and looked at the festivities on ETV.

They were broadcasting live from Wabe Shebela hotel. How I wish we were able to get the VCR working. They showed traditional dances from the Amhara, Oromo, Gurage, Tigre (Tigray) and Wolaita ethnic groups. This was serious dancing. Some of it is like breaking dancing and popping and locking only ten times faster and with 20 times more intensity. No wonder di man dem so mawga ova ya. Words really don’t do it justice. It was tight. The Wolaita dances looked most like West African dance, with more hip movements from the women. I think it was the Oromo dancing where the women were turning their heads round and round, they looked as if they might roll right off their necks at any moment. I’ve GOT to learn some of this. We watched until 12:00 am, wished each other Happy New Year then I, being the old fogey that I am went promptly to bed, I was beat, I had barely made it to 12:00.

The next morning there was no baaing to be heard. The sheep had met its fate. When I got to kitchen, its meat was sitting there. Before dealing with that however, we had to get dressed and visit family members. We visited the couple who had got married a week prior, right before that we visited the groom’s uncle. We got into a very interesting conversation I will have to share later on the state of African leadership. He said he thought the blacks of America very courageous, b/c at least they fight the whites face to face. He expressed the powerless feeling ppl have and his frustration at what he termed Africans’ “backwardness.” He looks at technology in the West and thinks that it is due to Blacks’ complacency and stagnation as to why they do not advance as well. He said while most ppl are proud of the Nubian and Egyptian civilizations they do not see that they are benefiting Blacks now. What do you think is the solution to this problem?
We will continue the conversation on Sunday when he comes over to visit.

We then returned home to cook lamb, use the 10 kilos (no lie!) of onions to finish the dorowat and chop and cut and slice and cut and chop and cook. Later the evening we went to a neighbour’s house for dinner. I realize now how to get ppl not to put any more food on your plate. Fling yourself across the plate and repeat beka several times, rapidly. Because I’ve noticed ppl will say Beka? You say beka. Then they (what you think is) ask beka while plopping another heaping helping of food on your plate. And then they’ll be like Bi, bi (eat, eat). I mean didn’t I just say beka? No more drink? You must first of all be ever vigilant ‘cause most times they won’t even ask, they’ll just refill the glass. When you see them coming place your hand over the glass and say beka. If you can’t stay long and don’t want them to get any food, hold them back while they are going to get it, because even tho they ask, they are going to get it anyway, regardless of your answer. If you do this you are guaranteed to get only a light snack and a full glass (no matter how many times you empty it) as opposed to a full meal.

This New Year was the most fun I’ve had…let’s see…ever. Yep, far as I can remember. Anyway. I would be nice if we did similar things in the US, in particular the Chibbo ceremony.