Eritrean english movie documentation about religion and “Eritrea – A Model of Religion and Ethnic Harmony” by Eri-TV. More videos of Eri-TV @ www.eritrea-chat.com or www.youtube.com/eritreachat.
Eritrea – A Model of Religion and Ethnic Harmony between Christian and Muslim
VOA – Tigrigna Audio Interview: ጾመ-40፡ ተጀሚሩ`ሎ። ኣብ ገሊኡ ዝሓለፈ ሰሙን፡ ኣብ ገሊኡ ኣብ`ዚ ሰሙን`ዚ። ንምዃኑ ጾመ-ኣርብዓ፡ 40 መዓልታት ጥራሕ ድዩ? ወይስ 45 ወይ 55 መዓልታት`ዩ?
ክልተ መራሕቲ ሃይማኖት ዓዲምና`ለና።
ኣባ ግርማይ ኣብራሃ፡ ካቶሊካዊ ካህን ዘ – ማህበረ ሲታውያንን መምህር መጽሓፍ ቅዱስን ካብ ኣስመራ ኤርትራ ክኾኑ ኸለዉ፡ መላከ ገነት ቆሞስ ይትባረክ ተክለሃይማኖት ላዕላዋይ ሓላፊ ቤተ-ክርስትያን ምብራቓዊ ክሊ ትግራይ ኢትዮጵያ`ዮም።
መደብ ህዝቢ ምስ ህዝቢ ንምስማዕ ኣብ`ዚ ጠውቑ፡
Eritrean Religion News: Abuna Dioskoros, Patriarch of the Eritrean Tewahdo Orthodox Church gave benediction in connection with Easter.
Asmara, 19 March 2014- Abuna Dioskoros, the 4th Patriarch of the Eritrean Tewahdo Orthodox Church gave benediction in connection with Eastern.
In the message he delivered to the Eritrean people in general and to Christians in particular, Abune Dioskoros wished peace and development to Eritrea and its people.
He further said that our holidays are occasions in which we visit the sick and extend helping hand to the needy citizens.
(Webmaster: Ruhus Awdeamet Yegberelna)
Eritrean Religion History: Eritrea is endowed with several and different historical and cultural monuments that stand witness to the historical wealth of the nation and its people. Every patch of land has a profound history to narrate and tell; every corner of the country embraces histories within its belly. Eritrea’s population is diverse, reflecting many languages, cultures, religions yet living together with harmony under the umbrella of unity. This unity makes the people even stronger with each passing day. Eritreans are also known for their friendly and generous nature, not to mention their unique trait of hospitality, which has been a trademark characteristic for years.
Eritrea is also endowed with natural and cultural heritages that are appealing and attractive to tourists. Beautiful landscapes in the highlands and lowlands, valleys, mountains, hills, and ridges are awe inspiring to anyone who happened to visit those places. The picturesque landscapes, which are seasonally blanketed by green carpets of grass, flowers and bushes, are indeed breathtaking to the viewers and a soothing sight to the sore eyes.
The cultural relics including remains of houses and household utensils to architectural ruins, tracing their times to ancient human civilizations are found in this very land, spreading in every corner of the country. There are different historical places: the Steles of Metera and Qohaito; the monasteries of Debre Sina, Ham and Debre Bizen; Mariam Dearit; the Liberation Struggle trenches in Nakfa; rock paintings in Karura; ancient ports of Zula and Adulis… the list goes on.
The Anseba Region is home to some of the most prominent historical sites in the country, one of them being the Monastery of Debra Sina.
Situated in the Eritrean highlands, just around 18 kilometers east of the town of Elabered, on the Asmara-Keren road, the Monastery of Debre Sina is a site of pilgrimage by Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo believers each year in the month of June.
The Debre Sina pilgrimage includes thousands of ordinary Eritrean believers camping for one night in the village of Debra Sina, singing, drumming, chanting and celebrating the Virgin Mary.
The journey from Elabered to Debre Sina is quite an arduous one. One has to climb to the monastery through a steep slope dry weather road; very challenging for buses to go through. It’s common to see cars breaking down along the way.
What is annoying is the fact that when one car breaks down, all the others following it have also to stop and find a way of passing along that narrow and zigzagging road. However, in most parts of the route, the road is so narrow that one car can hardly pass aside the other car, thus the only solution being to wait until the car was repaired. Well, you can guess how exhausting it can be to just wait and wait until the car or bus is fixed.
During the celebration in which I participated I witnessed more than 300 buses and countless smaller cars making their way to the monastery.
Many more pilgrims also go on foot all the 18 kilometers, climbing the hill and carrying their food and drink. Even though the journey is exhausting, they manage to reach their destination safely. The pilgrims do not only come from inside the country many Eritrean from Diaspora also come here to join the pilgrimage.
I also witnessed the generosity of Eritreans. People, I think they were inhabitants of the area, were offering free water and food to those who were climbing on foot. They welcomed these complete strangers to their house for shelter. Some of the inhabitants were also offering Siwa (traditional drink) to anyone who passed by their doors.
When we reached the monastery, everybody was so relieved to reach at the top of the mountain. Finding a parking lot was another difficult mission. After getting off the buses and cars, everyone starts packing and arranging their things, then walk for about a kilometer to the church, call the time carrying our belongings.
Once again, I observed the kindness of the youth and children of that area. They ask you if you need any help and offer their hands to support to carry your belongings. You feel so proud to be part of this harmonious and loving people.
When we reached to our final destination, we could see down to where the buses were parked. There you can’t help but notice how all those buses made out that almost triangular shape of Eritrea. Everybody was happy and cheered with amazement.
The pilgrims were singing praising song all the way the 83 kilometer starting from Asmara. The themes of their songs were God to bless Eritrea, peace to prevail, to have peace and love with one another, the safely to their respective homes and to have a good rainy season. What the mothers were asking St. Mary through their songs all the way were really heart touching and astonishing. Both Muslims and Christians make the pilgrimage to Debre Sina.
The landscape inside the monastery is unbelievable. Every rock you see seems to be carved out by a great architect. The pilgrims continue praying all the way into the night and the net day. Despite the freezing night air, the pilgrims were kept praying and chanting praise hymns.
The older, inner part of the church (which unlike many monasteries in Eritrea is open to both men and women) is hewn from rock and, according to local tradition, is 2100 years old. The troglodyte dwellings of the 60 nuns and priests who live there can be visited.
One of the oldest religious sites in Africa, thought to date from the 6th Century AD, Debre Sina could play a great role in reviving the tourism industry in Eritrea. And for that to happen, we have to work hard towards developing the basic infrastructure and especially the road that leads to the monastery. The Ministry of Tourism has to work relentlessly to guarantee easier and more comfortable accessibility to the place, so as to make it a tourist-luring site.
Eritrean religious history: Two kilometer out of Keren is the shrine of St. Mariam Dearit, a statue of the Virgin Mary that has its residence inside a trunk of an ancient baobab tree out in the open field, over 500 years old and 75 feet high. The statue is believed to have powers of healing. It is also believed to mark the spot from which fertility springs. Local women brew coffee in the shade of the tree and believe they have been blessed fertility-wise if a passing traveler accepts a cup. On May 29th every year, there is a pilgrimage to, and a cultural, spiritual and family event at the site. Thousands of people from all over Eritrea flock to Keren to enjoy the celebrations and congregate. To attend the prayers, the procession of the statue of the Virgin Mary around the baobab tree and to dance and sing afterwards.
In 1869, a group of French nuns known as ‘deqi feqri’ [Daughters of Charity] opened an orphanage in the Keren area where Abune Tuovier, a French priest, granted them a piece of land to grow orchards. The French Lazarists sent a bronze statute of the Virgin Mary to the sisters. The nuns located a huge Baobab tree and curved a shrine in its trunk. After blessing the statue of the Virgin Mary, they set her in the shrine. The orchards that the sisters planted still stand.
In World War II, according to legend, a group of Italian soldiers, who were under attack from British planes took refuge inside the shrine to avoid bombing. It is believed that a bomb struck the trunk of the Baobab tree and landed between the soldiers but the bomb didn’t explode and the soldiers survived. The hole can still be witnessed on the walls of the trunk.
- shabait.com
Eritrean religious christian history of Gedam Abune Henok close to Adi Arba(ዓርባዓ) and Adi Quala(ቕዋላ). More videos of EriTV @ www.eritrea-chat.com.
On Wednesday we celebrated Kidus Yohannes, aka Geez New Year. Happy Holiday!
God knows how many of you have been dumbfounded as to why we get to celebrate two New Years: one in September and another with the rest of the world in January. I know I have!
Over the years I have come across many foreigners who demanded an explanation. The common explanation goes that Eritreans, who officially stuck to the Gregorian calendar (GC), also resorted (usually the elders) to the Julian calendar for traditional and religious holidays and that because of the latter the year begun in the month of September.
According to the Julian calendar, the year, which starts in September, is divided into 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month, known as Pagumien, of 5 days and 6 days in leap years (like the present year).
Coming at the end of the rainy season, Pagumien is a Greek word meaning addition, rightly referring to the fact that Eritrean tradition dictates that bathing your bodies during the five days in any water source is vital to keep one’s health throughout the coming year. It is considered as cleansing one’s soul from any sin committed during the past year and ensuring a healthy journey throughout the coming year. Back in the old days, everyone, except for the ill and aged, bath their bodies.
Particularly in the Eritrean highlands, women wake up early in the dawn hours to bathe in the village ponds and rivers. The traditional significance of this norm say that it symbolizes the cleansing of the body and soul in time for the New Year. In old times, except the mobility impaired and very old people, everybody reportedly bathed each morning during the epagomenal days.
Melodious folksongs by the young women as they bathe or play in the meadows are abundant these days.
“Adeye abrehaley, kwerdo maye
Adeye abrehaley, kwerdo maye…”
Rough translation of the song is: “Mother, please put the light on so that I go to fetch water.”
This is an allusion to St. Mary, inferring that the young women are asking her to help them wash themselves of their sins.
And why is it commonly known as Kudus Yohannes? In honor of John the Baptist.
Reasons for celebrating this new beginning in September is said to have biblical implications: in the Old Testament, it is believed that the new season, after the great floods, begin with the month of September.
Similarly in the Eritrean context, especially in the rural areas, September is also the beginning of a sunny weather in which crops are gathered and harvested, after toiling all summer. It’s also during this month that flowers blossom after heavy rains. Therefore, this new beginning is jovially celebrated. During such time, most of the pastoralists that had left with their livestock return home at the beginning of this month.
In the old times, it was the time when young boys acknowledged their adulthood because being chosen to leave for the meadows proves a boy’s maturity; that also gave the young men the opportunity to look for a bride and the women to display their beauty.
The days leading up to the big event, young girls go out to the streets singing laudatory songs to passerby who in return give them some money. That’s probably fundraising at the traditional level. Particularly in the rural Eritrea, the girls, with the money collected, supposedly buy decorations to make themselves more beautiful for the New Year. At dusk, on the eve of the day, the streets are filled with smoke (or its smell) from the burning torches, made of bundles of dry leaves and thick wood sticks that children carry around the neighborhood chanting “Hoye Hoye” , announcing the beginning of the new year.
Growing as a child I remember looking forward to our relatives who would come from the village – honestly what we wanted most were the torches they would bring us. And then on the eve, we would get restless until it got dark so we could light our torches and run along the street. Tradition has it that you lay the burning torch on the ground and ask people cross it three times, wishing for blessed and prosperous returns of the day. Once they cross three times, people are supposed to give the children small tips.
After we had made a round in our block and make as many people as we could find cross our torches we would make our way back home, where the family gathers in the compound. My grandmother, who loved to stick to tradition, would then pick one of the torches and go around every room and, shall we say fumigate them, reciting some verses that supposedly wish for prosperity with the coming of the New Year:
“Akokay, akokay…
kurae hamli wtsa’e
Geat tesmi eto…”
The wish, in simple words, would sound something like:
“Begone, dishes of vegetable
Welcome porridge of butter…”
The verses are simply good wishes of wealth and abundance for the New Year.
When she was done with touring all rooms in the house, we would all gather around a small bonfire made from what remains of the torches. My grandmother would then sing traditional New Year folksongs. That was a lot of fun!
Such traditions make up an important part of the rich Eritrean cultural heritage. Even today, as I listen to the songs on the radio or television, my mind goes back to those smoke-filled evenings that we, as children, would eagerly await.
While it’s not customary to exchange greeting cards during this holiday, nowadays, owing to globalization, well wishing text messages are common among the urban sophisticated.
The Geez New Year is generally considered as a fresh beginning and remains to this date the most important of the Eritrean traditional holidays.
Source: shabait.com
Eritrean Tigrinya Video News from 27 September 2013 by Eri-TV:
Asmara – Meskel Holiday was today observed nationwide with zeal.
The ceremony conducted at Bahti Meskerem square in the presence of His Holiness Abune Dioskoros, 4th Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, High Priests, government officials, diplomats and numerous members of the Faithful witnessed hymns, holy dances and briefings.
The Head of the church’s clergy, Beyene Eyassu, made presentation on the historic aspect of the holiday, and wished peace and prosperity to the Eritrean people.
The Administrator of the Central region, Mr. Kahsai Gebrehiwet, lit the Damera, following the extending of a blessing by His Holiness Abune Dioskoros.
Eritrean christian religious celebration of Meskel in Eritrea in 1936 – በዓል መስቀል 1936 ዓ.ም.ፈ.
Eritrean christian religious: በዓል መስቀል 1936 ዓ.ም.ፈ
Eritrea Meskel Celebration – 1936
Eritrean christian religion: Bad manners and discourteousness increase when we leave behind basic standards of polite behavior in favor of incorrect, rude and disrespectful treatment. These bad habits represent a bothersome publicmodel undervalue for one and each member of a community especially the elderly, women, as well as those who are considered different because of race or physical aspects. We can now-a-days see clearly how the absence of consideration and good manners is creating a social mess in societies where individuals lack personal decorum and puts them to a situation where rude behavior and inappropriate conduct are considered “normal”.
In today’s so called “modern” societies it is common for people to consider courtesy as old-fashioned and out-of-date, that is why gradually more and more individuals behave rudely, making interaction difficult. This sort of impoliteness’s examples are too numerous to count or even mention: the disrespectful
treatment of elderly people; the lack of commitment to any occasion, job, or person; the ironic and mimic blunting out of the words “please” and “thank you” as well as the vanishing use of the words “please” and “thank you” from most people’s vocabulary; disobedient children (the spitting image of their parents) who think that the world spins around them and behave spitefully because of it; rude team managers that act as if they own the company, etc, etc. We could go all day long
listing all of the ruddiness that people go through in the day-to-day life routine, creating an unpleasant social environment that makes us want to run away and hide.
Luckily enough for us, here amongst the Eritrean community our good old manners seem to be surviving against if not all many of the bad and individualistic
influences of the outside world. Seeing that we are at the very moment in between festivities I have been feeling amazingly graceful as I noticed how the value of “respect” is still vividly alive in the midst of our diversity.
We rather live a hectic life between work and family but festivities are of a great phase in which families’ and friends reunite and joyfully celebrate. And that is
when our good manners find their outmost manifestation. Ten days ago we had the celebration of the Geez New Year: Kudus Yohaness enlightening our hearts, soon to be followed by Meskel and later on by Eid, three festivities that make the colorful season of harvesting even brighter and blessed.
Though kudus Yohaness and Meskel are religious Coptic festivities they have knotted in them so many traditional revels linked to the agricultural customs of the
Tigrigna ethnic group. We can for example mention “Hoyena Hoye” a very famous and most expected ritual held by the male youngsters of the community whom lighten torches in the eve evenings of kudus Yohaness and Meskel and playfully dash around the towns representing the coming of the lustrous harvesting season. We could also mention the ritual songs, which are more like prayers for a good yield and a peaceful and successful year, sung by the ladies as they harmoniously
dance to them.
An outsider might question: “they are just rituals so what can they possibly have to do with respect?”… But yes they do, every and each ritual has parts that
require the elder’s blessing, apart in which we can feel love within our multiplicity and a great sense of respect for each other.
During this season youngsters curve for blessings: the plentiful festivities need a lot of work: cooking food and making suwa for family and friends is not an easy
job. And as the youngsters help out the elders, folks with no family, disabled people and different members of the community through the preparations and we get to be showered by the elder’s blessings, wishes and prayers for good luck, healthiness, success and a blissful youth trough out the year.
Eid follows in a matter of days marking more joy amongst us. We can then sense the essence of “respect”, we as a people on whole are really good in respecting our diversities and proudly live by them.Muslim followers hold receptions for the Christian followers and spend a delightful moment all together.
Good all manners that were thought to us a young age, have been and still are being our pride and joy till this day. Our ancestors always believed that possessing good manners will help young adults make better choices when they are faced with negative peer pressure. The though teaching engraved in us ever since we were of a young age will stay by our sides for as long as we live: being our shield against any odds, making us super respectful of ourselves and extremely considerate of others, empowering our overall integral measurement of success and dedication; as having good manners helps an individual build confidence, increase self esteem, and improve communication skills. Manners are for everybody, possessing good manners is one of the best and slightest costly investments one ever does make. Our elders did an amazing job in passing us much voluble etiquettes so for us to lead a very civilized life style it is now our job to pass it on to the younger generations and protect what makes us most harmonious as a people.
Happy festivities!
By Meron Abraha,
(Date of Beal Meskel) Today is Meskel, a religious holiday when the Christian faithful celebrate the anniversary of the Finding of the True Cross. The celebration
at the Bahti Meskerem Square includes the burning of a large bonfire, or Damera.
Why the Damera Bonfire – Eritrean Christian Orthodox celebration – Beal Meskel
Revolving around the Damera celebrations is an interesting story, one that has always impressed me as a young boy.
Legend has it that Queen Eleni of the fourth century, mother of Emperor Constantine, reportedly found the remains of the True Cross, where Jesus Christ was crucified, by following smoke as it descended to earth.
Apparently, she had this revealed to her in a dream. She was told to make a bonfire and that the smoke would show her where the true cross was buried. So she ordered the people of Jerusalem to bring wood and make a huge pile. After adding frankincense to it, the bonfire was lit and the smoke rose high up to
the sky and returned to the ground, exactly to the spot where the Cross had been buried.
She then lit a huge fire on a hill to tell her son the news of her discovery. Originally, she is said to have set off to Jerusalem in search of the Cross following the miraculous victory of her son in a battle after he saw the sign of the cross and the words “in hoc signo vinces” (Latin for in this sign you will win) written in the sky.
And so every year as Meskel is celebrated, a huge bonfire topped with a sign of cross and wrapped with white cloth, decorated with daisies, is set ready to be set ablaze. Before it burns, colorfully dressed priests and deacons chant hymns blessing the bonfire.
The direction the bonfire falls after burning is traditionally taken as a sign of what to expect the year to come. Eritreans have good prospects if it fell towards east; because if it does it is a good omen, predicting prosperity and good harvests after the rainy season.
Afterwards, charcoal from the remains of the fire is collected and used by the faithful to mark their foreheads with the shape of a cross.
Source: Eritrean Profile
Eritrean christian religion: Debre Sina Eritrean Monastery June 2013
Eritrean Ruhus Awdeamet Melikhti Kab Kindergarden Kids 2015 presented by EriTV. More videos of Eri-TV @ www.eritrea-chat.com or www.youtube.com/EritreanTVNews or EriTV Videos @ Vimeo
Eritrean News: Asmara, 19 January 2015 – The religious Epiphany Holiday (Timket) was observed today nationwide in colorful manner.
The observance here in the capital witnessed the participation of thousands of the faithful during which prayer service and benediction was given by the Central region’s Secretary of the Holy Synod, His Holiness Abune Petros.
Memhir Elias Habtai outlined the historical background of Timket Holiday.
According to reports, the Managing Director of the Central region, Mr. Zerit Tewoldebirhan and other senior government officials, as well as invited guests took part in the observance.
Eritrean christian religion: Eritreans celebrate Epiphany in Qasar el Yahud 17.1.2015 by Amir Aloni.
Eritreans celebrate Epiphany at the Jordan River
Eritrean celebration: Eritrean Ruhus Beal Fasika – Yigberelkum – Wish you all – Happy eastern
2015 Eritrean Easter Celebration in Houston
New Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Film ST.ABANOUB ቅዱስ ኣባኖብ presented by Mahbere Mariam Israel.
