(ማስታወቂያ)
Ethiopia is a country of more than 90 different ethnicities, and more than 80 different languages are spoken in it. Despite this diversity, Ethiopians have managed to coexist for centuries. Even though there have been histories of conflicts caused by the ethnic-based political system of the country, the true social life of the people is not reflected in the messy political systems that have been governing the country.
Image Source: ethiopianembassy.org People from all the different ethnic backgrounds in Ethiopia have been marrying each other for centuries, creating a complicated social fabric that makes it difficult to create a clear distinction between the people. Community members from all hierarchies of the society participate equally in the activities required, this has further strengthened the people’s cohesion. Actively engaging in social life activities in Ethiopia is mandatory to earn the respect of the people. So, the importance of participating in social life activities is something that all Ethiopians agree on and take seriously. Let’s look at some of the most Unique and Valued Ethiopian cultural norms commonly practiced throughout the country.
There are three main cultural organizations in Ethiopia that are essentially formed to help individuals and families during times of need. These organizations are Edir, Iqub, and Debo. Let’s discuss these in a little detail…
Edir is a social organization which is created to handle funeral ceremonies. This includes everything from covering different expenses and providing necessary materials like tents, seats, kitchenware, etc. to event organization and cooking meals for attendants, so the grieving family won’t have to worry about anything. Typically Edir is formed amongst households of the same neighborhood, but nowadays it is also created by different sub-groups within society. For example, the Merchant association of a specific market area can have its own Edir. Or employees of one government bureau may create their own Edir association. There are also Edirs created on the basis of ethnic background. Females-only Edir organizations are also common, but they are typically part of a larger Edir organization. A person or household can become a member of multiple Edirs, but everyone gives priority to their neighborhood’s Edir and become a member of other Edir organizations if they can afford the required monthly fee. Edir’s monthly payment is typically scheduled to be at the dawn on the first Sunday of every month. Recently Edirs are becoming modern by making their payment systems through banks, and some smart banks are creating a dedicated system for this. On their registration to an Edir organization, new members are requested to fill a form, on the form they are asked to provide a list of their living family members, typically by going as far as cousins. The funeral of any of these family members will be handled by the Edir. Members of an Edir are required to attend all funerals within their organization and do all the necessary social work. Male and female members have their own task distribution. This social organization is not only dedicated to funeral ceremonies though, they also lend their equipment for their members if they needed it for other purposes like weddings or graduation parties.
Iqub also spelled Equb, is a temporary social organization in Ethiopia formed with the objective of providing financial support for its members. Every member of the Iqub organization pays a specific amount of money every month or week and on the day of this periodic payment, a draw is made to determine who gets to take the collected money. To avoid a single member winning more than once and insure that every member gets to win in a rotational manner, those members who get the chance to win a draw will not be included in the coming draws. Iqub is an important part of Ethiopians’ social life as it significantly contributes to their social interaction. Its financial importance is also not overlooked as many people in Ethiopia have been able to start a business and become successful using the money they got from Iqub. Just like Edir, Iqub is also formed on the basis of different criteria. Ethnic background, income source and gender are the two common criteria on which Iqub organizations are formed. But also people start Iqub for a common goal, for example, a group of Book lovers may start Iqub to buy themselves books of their choice every month.
Debo is the organization of a community to help those in need. The help typically comes in the form of labor, it may be to help harvest a farm or renovate houses in poor condition. The target groups of Debo are usually the elderly, widowers or handicapped people. There is a well-known and agreed upon proverb in Ethiopia that just shows how much value cooperation among people is. . . “50 lemons for 1 one person are burdens but for 50, they are beauty.” Debo was majorly practiced in rural Ethiopia, but in recent years it is also being promoted in urban areas, one example of this being the Prime Minister’s annual participation in house renovation for the poor in the capital Addis Ababa.
In rural Ethiopia Debo is also done to complete farm harvesting as quickly as possible. In this case, a group of farmers goes around harvesting each other’s farm turn by turn.
Ethnic and religious diversity are common throughout Ethiopia. In a single urban or semi-urban neighborhood one may find households of as many as 3 to 5 different religions. The teachings of the two dominant religions in the country, Orthodox Christianity and Muslim, (43.5% and 33.9% respectively, according to the 2007 national census) forbid eating the meat of an animal that is slaughtered by the followers of another religion. This is because the blessings that are said prior to slaughtering the animal are said in accordance with the religious beliefs of the side slaughtering the animal. This means people of different religions cannot feast at each other’s party unless the food is vegetarian. So the Ethiopian people found a way around this problem and came up with a solution. And that is they will prepare separate dishes for their neighbors and relatives of the other religion. To do that they will provide everything necessary and have it all prepared by their neighbors and relatives of the other religion. This could be an expensive solution but amongst the Ethiopian people, money is of less value than social life.
There is an Ethiopian saying. . . “A nearby hater is better than a distant lover” This saying is used to show just how important neighbors are as they are the ones to respond immediately at times of emergency than distant families and friends. Ethiopians do so many activities with their neighbors that it is almost impossible to avoid each other. Holidays like Meskel (The finding of the true cross), Buhe Belu, and Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) are examples of holidays that require neighbors to interact with each other to do the required ceremonies of the Holidays. Ethiopians do everything with their neighbors to begin with, not only Holidays but during weddings when families introduce with each other, neighbors that are the closest are also introduced as family members, Ethiopians call these family like neighbors “Gemena debakiye” (ገመና ደባቂዬ - “My secret hider”) The Ethiopian coffee drinking ceremony is another example that shows the value Ethiopians have for their neighbors and the depth of their relationship.
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