Ethiopian New Year

Hanging Meskal daisies. In Ethiopia, they symbolize

 happiness

In our class this year we have a student from Ethiopia. Coordinating with his Mom, we were able to put together a little celebration for Ethiopian New Year, or Enkutatash. I explained to the class that Enkutatash is timed for when the seasons change. We talked a little about how the leaves are changing colors now, signaling the move from summer to fall. I asked about what that means for our plants, and a couple of the students pointed out that they were dying or losing their leaves. This moved us into talking about the harvest. Our talk was not very long or detailed because the idea of a far away country can be a little overwhelming, and frankly, often goes over their heads.

Eli showing us how he prepares to eat

   So instead of a long-winded discussion, Eli brought in some great artifacts and food for us to eat, and changed into traditional Ethiopian dress for us. We danced to some popular music, ate, and had a great time!

Testing some different dishes

Dancing!