Ethiopian Christmas
| Ethiopian Christmas | |
|---|---|
Vigil lightening at Lalibela during Christmas | |
| Observed by | |
| Type | Eastern Christian |
| Significance | Birth of Jesus |
| Celebrations | |
| Date | 7 January |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Christmas |
Ethiopian Christmas (Amharic: ገና; Oromo: Ayaana; Tigrinya: ልደት) is a holiday celebrated by the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox churches, as well as Protestant and Catholic denominations in Ethiopia, on 7 January (Tahsas 29 in the Ethiopian calendar).
One of the distinct features of Ethiopian Christmas is a traditional game similar to hockey. The game is believed to have evolved from the shepherds tending their flocks on the night Jesus was born.