Few people had a Christmas tree, and those who did used a few branches which were decorated a few days before their Christmas day. The Christmas trees we saw were decorated with soft paper or cotton balls for snow, balloons, and pictures of Jesus. On all special holidays, including Christmas, the floor is covered with grass.
The special Christmas dish is doro wat, which is a delicious thick spicy stew with chicken and whole boiled eggs in it. It is eaten with injera, a thin sourdough flatbread used to scoop up the wat instead of using cutlery. The special drink for Christmas is made from barley. On Christmas Day many people wear traditional Ethiopian dress. It is a day for families to gather together, to eat and enjoy time together. Gift-giving is not a big part of Christmas. Family members may give small gifts. People told us that only families with lots of money talk about Santa Claus or Father Christmas.
'He was born, so I have His perfect example to follow and can ask myself, in every situation, what HE would do, as I try to become more Christlike.'
