A coincidence at Ethiopian Christmas, Gena

BY WORKU BELACHEW

The previous year Gena , one of the most celebrated holidays by Ethiopian Christians, presented an unexpected phenomenon for the neighbourhood I was brought up. Actually trust, as an essential instrument to tie up a given society, gives people confidence to carry out their tasks without a need to abide every routine by law- just a simple oral agreement between two and three persons might be found enough to run businesses worth thousands and millions, for instance-as far as the society's moral values remains intact. For a society to be progressive and dynamic its foundation need to be laid around trust, experts in the area put it.
 

Conversely, some naughty guys easily break the social norm for a footling gains and risk people's lives. Though this fact always lives with us, life seems odd and too formal or rather unnatural without trust. Over the past three decades the residents of my ex-neighbourhood maintained this societal value.

                                Fattened bull, this time cost 16 thousand birr

 And every year, like most Ethiopians, contributed money when grand holidays like Gena are approaching to buy oxen and divide its meat among them. There are three senior citizens that are informally assigned to facilitate a ceremony called Kircha_ group of people, living the same neighbourhood or working the same institution contribute money to buy ox for a holiday and share its meat. For most Christians killing the bull is preceded by a short prayer. Then, they cut the ox’s throat and make it flat on the ground to skin it and divide each organ to the number of the people involving in the ceremony. This old tradition is still kept up though various private and government abattoirs are operational in most towns in the nation. Kircha ceremony is, of course, beyond sharing meat, it rather has social implications. In this ceremony, people living the same area or colleagues informally discuss various issues, it positively impacts the people's togetherness. They exchange ideas about lives. As the engagement in the ceremony is informal workers and bosses also socialize themselves. Witty company leaders use this opportunity to facilitate informal communications. The event paves the way to crack jocks and mock at each other thereby lubricate the friction resulted from formal relations. The ceremony is not collecting meat and rushing for home. Some organs like liver is eaten in a raw with hot spices and local drinks like Areaki are also served. Kids that have accompanied one of their parents also practice eating meat in a raw. It is also common to toast some meat and eat together during the ceremony. The kircha takes place in one of the house of the members, and the owners of the house serves loaves of bread baked for the holiday called Difo Dabo, a special big bread, and drinks like Tella, home brewed alcohol.

                                      drawing lots to decide which one belongs to whom

In the previous times ten persons can be enough to contribute money, like each hundred birr, and buy a fattened bull for one thousand. But, when residents could not afford too much they used to buy some kilos of meat in less than fifty birr from the famously known butcheries found around the outskirts of the city, and red meat never missed from the table during holidays. All these are like a fairy tells when compared to the current sky high market. A minimum of ten thousand birr is required to buy fattened ox, meaning each resident is expected to contribute one thousand birr, making it impossible for most Ethiopians to color their holidays with their most favourite dish, Kurt- raw meant with hot spice like Mitmitta, Awase and kochkocha- and Kitfo , raw meat with hot spices. Though this is the reality, the tradition still persists. Most people irrespective of their educational and income background allocate money for meat for a holiday. Most people even compromise their little saving or borrow money from others to enjoy the holiday with meat.

But, the unlucky guys of my neighbourhood also contributed one thousand birr each and as usual delegate a committee to buy the ox. As the price of cattle varies according to the location of market, they travelled to the distant one in the out skirt of the city, expecting to shorten the turbulent supply chain fall on the fatal hands of brokers. Fortunately, they got the ox with a relatively better price compared to the market in the down town of the capital – in Addis live cattle traffic increase more than ever around grand holidays, the roadsides and major streets occupied by flock of sheep and herd of cattle- As the market is yet traditional, there is no hard and fast price tag, but the price of goods in the market is decided after a thorough debating between the buyer and seller. The seller knows for how much to sell but first may call one thousand birr for a commodity that he/ she finally would agree to sell it for hundred birr. Both parties are well aware of that but waste their time bargaining. From this one can clearly guess that the hustle and bustle in the market is too exhausting. And the committee [of my ex-neighborhood] assigned to buy the bull went through this, but as the bull is transported on foot for more than twenty kilometres, the people needed a skilled person that help them along their way. Otherwise the bull may got confused by the roars of vehicles and will destroy everything in front of it. The good thing is, one can find plenty of such persons around market areas. And the guys agreed to pay hundred birr for a young and muscular person. Then, he tied the bull and the long journey started at noon- the hot and burning time where the sun is overhead. The journey requires walking through various short cuts the lead guy preferred. And at some places when the bull run, they also should run with it. By the way, senior citizens people are usually preferred to buy bull for various occasions. Because, they are believed to have accumulated experiences. And the senior citizens could not endure running with the lead guy. The guy hired to lead the ox was strong, he was struggling and running with the ox along his way. And the wrestling becomes tougher and tougher. Finally at one junction, the distance between the guys, and the bull lead marked a huge gap, little by tittle his image fadeout.

Soon a shock wave had stricken the old guys that are soaked in sweat and one of whom insisted on running until they can see the prancing guy.

The village they were travelling have many junctions, crating confusion for the guys which one to stick to. At distant in one of the roads some guys three youngsters talk near an electric pole. One of the old guys run towards them in case they see the man they are looking for. And the youngsters brought a good news.

“A tall and muscular guy with a fattened bull?” said one of the youngsters.

“Yes, yes...” responded the old guy expecting to tell him which way he went.

“He was running that way,” all the youngsters said at once, pointing one of the turns that take to a nearby river.

The old guys rushed to the river gasping the available air around. Unluckily, it was a terrible street theatre. The guys were the thief's friends and they mislead them. Because, no one except these three youngsters saw the man and the bull along that way. Finally, they informed police about it and went back to the market, hoping to find someone who can identify him. But, it was just wastage of time, no one knew the guy. With a saddened and exhausted pale looking, they travelled to their neighbourhood. The good thing is the villagers considered the event as only a misfortune and took it easy. Yet, few of the members blamed the committee and requested their money to be returned and the unlucky guys paid from their pockets. I hope this year, the villagers will either leave the ceremony or the person who lead their ox will be required to bring two portrait or any guarantee.