Experiencing an Orthodox mass at Bet Maryam in Ethiopia’s holy city of Lalibela is unlike any religious experience on earth. Szerdi Nay explores the tradition that goes back centuries.
Lalibela town fulls up with an incredible festival atmosphere as the main event approaches.
Our main reason for our Adventures in Ethiopia (see them all here) was a trip to Lalibela to join the festivities of Christmas. The day had finally arrived and the general excitement in the air was tangible. The entire town was filled with the preparations for the night’s festivities. The Christmas celebration is held at Bet Maryam the most exquisitely decorated church. We made our way through the mass of people, clambering up rock faces and navigating our way to Bet Maryam through the maze of 10m sheer dropoffs in the darkness. Around us people were lighting their ways with traditional candles, and some even with the light from their cellphones. The cermeony itself was much like it was hundreds of years ago with only natural candle light and the same drums and sistrums the priests have used since Christianity arrived in Ethiopia. We had been warned about the trance like expereince of watching the dancing priests but nothing could have prepared us for the experience first hand. The singing and dancing was cyclical starting with slow drum beats and melodic humming that would eventually build up to dancing ululating and singing only to slow to the rhythmic drum beating again. The video below only partially capture the atmosphere
Christmas in Lalibela, Ethiopia from knotjustpics on Vimeo.
The sea of white robed figures who lay on every surface imaginable in order to get as close as possible to the Christmas service. The service started at 10pm and ended when the sun rose. We have never in our lives seen so many people so densely congregated in one place and it created an excited festival atmosphere and created a warmth that was quite surprising in the chilled winter’s night air. People everywhere were chanting, praying, reading their bibles and even just sleeping in this holiest of environments.
