Christmas in Lalibela

50,000 pilgrims descend on Ethiopia's "new" Jerusalem

  • By Paul Raffaele
  • Smithsonian magazine, December 2007, Subscribe
 

More from Smithsonian.com


Lalibela is a nondescript town of a few dusty streets atop a rugged mountain some 200 miles north of Addis Ababa. But its 11 monolithic churches—carved out of the red volcanic stone in the 12th century, and now a World Heritage Site—are thronged by pilgrims every Christmas. Because of differences between Western and Ethiopian calendars and traditions, Ethiopians celebrate that holiday on what Westerners know as January 7.

When I visited Lalibela for Christmas celebrations this past January, the altitude—8,600 feet above sea level—and the crowds took my breath away: the tunnels and passageways connecting the churches were crammed with devotees bumping into and even shoving one another in their rush to get from one church to another. Lalibela has 20,000 residents, and "more than 50,000 pilgrims come for Christmas," my guide told me. "As you see, they burst the town at its seams." Crowds are expected to be even larger this Christmas because of the Ethiopian millennium: by the Ethiopian calendar, the year 2000 began this past September.

According to church tradition, it was two shipwrecked Christian boys who introduced the faith to Ethiopia in the fourth century; they worked as slaves in the royal court but eventually became advisers to King Ezana, who spread Christianity among his people. Abba Gebre Yesus, the bishop of Lalibela, told me that Lalibela became a holy city after the capture of Jerusalem by Muslim forces in 1187; since Ethiopian Christian pilgrims could no longer go there, the reigning king—Lalibela—declared the town to be a new Jerusalem.

Bet Medhane Alem is the world's largest monolithic church, 63 feet high by 45 feet wide and 24 feet deep. It resembles an ancient Greek temple, but Ethiopia's Jewish roots are reflected in the Star of David cut into the ceiling. "Thousands of workmen toiled here by day to carve out the church, and by night when they slept a host of angels continued the work," a young priest who gave his name as Arch Deacon Yonas Sisay told me. The angels, tradition says, dug three times the amount of the men.

After the stroke of midnight on January 7, I attended Christmas Mass at Bet Maryam, the church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. One of its frescoes is of the Star of David; close by is another depicting the flight by Mary, Joseph and Jesus into Egypt. That night, pilgrims jammed the church shoulder to shoulder and thronged the surrounding hills. To begin the Mass, priests chanted and rattled sistras, palm-size instruments from Old Testament times, and the celebration continued through the night.

At sunrise, the church emptied. More than 100 priests climbed the rocky steps to the rim of the pit overlooking the church and formed a line that snaked to the very edge of the drop. They wore white turbans, carried golden scarves and had red sashes stitched into the hems of their white robes. Several deacons began beating large drums, and the priests began to sway in unison, rattling their sistras, then crouching in a wavy line to the beat and rising again—King David's dance, the last of the Christmas ceremonies.

In the courtyard below, two dozen priests formed a tight circle with two drummers in the center and began chanting a hymn to the priests above, who responded in kind. "The courtyard priests represent the world's people, and the priests high above represent the angels," a priest told me. "Their singing is a symbol of the unity between heaven and earth." On they went for two hours, their movements and voices swelling in intensity. Many of those high above slipped into ecstatic trances, closing their eyes as they swayed. I feared that one of them—or more—would fall. But none did.


Lalibela is a nondescript town of a few dusty streets atop a rugged mountain some 200 miles north of Addis Ababa. But its 11 monolithic churches—carved out of the red volcanic stone in the 12th century, and now a World Heritage Site—are thronged by pilgrims every Christmas. Because of differences between Western and Ethiopian calendars and traditions, Ethiopians celebrate that holiday on what Westerners know as January 7.

When I visited Lalibela for Christmas celebrations this past January, the altitude—8,600 feet above sea level—and the crowds took my breath away: the tunnels and passageways connecting the churches were crammed with devotees bumping into and even shoving one another in their rush to get from one church to another. Lalibela has 20,000 residents, and "more than 50,000 pilgrims come for Christmas," my guide told me. "As you see, they burst the town at its seams." Crowds are expected to be even larger this Christmas because of the Ethiopian millennium: by the Ethiopian calendar, the year 2000 began this past September.

According to church tradition, it was two shipwrecked Christian boys who introduced the faith to Ethiopia in the fourth century; they worked as slaves in the royal court but eventually became advisers to King Ezana, who spread Christianity among his people. Abba Gebre Yesus, the bishop of Lalibela, told me that Lalibela became a holy city after the capture of Jerusalem by Muslim forces in 1187; since Ethiopian Christian pilgrims could no longer go there, the reigning king—Lalibela—declared the town to be a new Jerusalem.

Bet Medhane Alem is the world's largest monolithic church, 63 feet high by 45 feet wide and 24 feet deep. It resembles an ancient Greek temple, but Ethiopia's Jewish roots are reflected in the Star of David cut into the ceiling. "Thousands of workmen toiled here by day to carve out the church, and by night when they slept a host of angels continued the work," a young priest who gave his name as Arch Deacon Yonas Sisay told me. The angels, tradition says, dug three times the amount of the men.

After the stroke of midnight on January 7, I attended Christmas Mass at Bet Maryam, the church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. One of its frescoes is of the Star of David; close by is another depicting the flight by Mary, Joseph and Jesus into Egypt. That night, pilgrims jammed the church shoulder to shoulder and thronged the surrounding hills. To begin the Mass, priests chanted and rattled sistras, palm-size instruments from Old Testament times, and the celebration continued through the night.

At sunrise, the church emptied. More than 100 priests climbed the rocky steps to the rim of the pit overlooking the church and formed a line that snaked to the very edge of the drop. They wore white turbans, carried golden scarves and had red sashes stitched into the hems of their white robes. Several deacons began beating large drums, and the priests began to sway in unison, rattling their sistras, then crouching in a wavy line to the beat and rising again—King David's dance, the last of the Christmas ceremonies.

In the courtyard below, two dozen priests formed a tight circle with two drummers in the center and began chanting a hymn to the priests above, who responded in kind. "The courtyard priests represent the world's people, and the priests high above represent the angels," a priest told me. "Their singing is a symbol of the unity between heaven and earth." On they went for two hours, their movements and voices swelling in intensity. Many of those high above slipped into ecstatic trances, closing their eyes as they swayed. I feared that one of them—or more—would fall. But none did.

    Subscribe now for more of Smithsonian's coverage on history, science and nature.



 

Add New Comment


Name: (required)

Email: (required)

Comment:

Comments are moderated, and will not appear until Smithsonian.com has approved them. Smithsonian reserves the right not to post any comments that are unlawful, threatening, offensive, defamatory, invasive of a person's privacy, inappropriate, confidential or proprietary, political messages, product endorsements, or other content that might otherwise violate any laws or policies.

Comments (18)

+ View All Comments

love is sweet

Posted by yirgalem on December 31,2011 | 11:15 AM

am so proud i was born this holly place

Posted by josef on December 27,2010 | 06:39 PM

"Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hands unto God” A very mesmerizing story!!! Thanks Rastafari

Posted by Alemnesh Tafari on December 20,2009 | 08:37 PM

I would like to go this christmas,
could you advice me on the exact date and the best way to go?

Posted by Murielle on July 15,2009 | 06:58 AM

As a Greek Orthodox Christian, I found this article a wonder. I hope I shall be able someday to visit Ethiopia and these amazing churches constructed so long ago.

Posted by Kallirroe Georjitsos on December 23,2008 | 07:20 PM

Yes, I saw the woman's face also - I exclaimed to my self that I thought no females were allowed in these holy rituals! However, I didn't turn the photo upside down until I read the comment before mine - I am so thrilled to see this article!! thank you! p.s. were there other mysterious happenings on this journey - The mother country is full of surprises!!

Posted by Cassandra R. Joseph on January 29,2008 | 01:10 PM

Paul,I was so interested in your article,that I sat back in the waiting room after my doctors appt.and noticed something very strange in the photographs.Where the group of priests is gathered by the water,there is a WOMAN'S FACE behind the man with the black umbrella amongst all the faces of men.Interestingly enough when you turn the photo upside down to view the faces through the WATER REFLECTION her face disappears.I would love to know more about the negatives or other pictures taken there. Please look into the photo mystery!!! Thanks

Posted by Sharon Leighton on January 9,2008 | 12:41 PM

Paul, I find it very interesting that the reference to September being the start of the millennium would mean that Jesus was born in August in 7 B.C. to make their calender correct. Also the fact that Joseph,Mary and the infant Jesus fled to Egypt to escape from Herod is more then likely true...How have the Ethiopians Christians come upon this knowledge.

Posted by Brad Bookhultz on December 23,2007 | 11:19 PM

Christianity was actually accepted in Ethiopia less than 40 years after the Resurrection of Christ. The book of Acts describes the encounter between the apostle Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. The Ethiopian Eunuch was Baptized by Phillip and converted to Christianity. This is important because many invaders and exploiters of Africa use converting Africans to Christianity as an excuse. Being that Africa, Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, Ethiopia, and others, had Christianity before those that invaded & colonized Africa. It's safe to say that the Ethiopians would be better teachers of Christianity for Africans then any other nation. We are sure that they received the commandment to go and teach all nations. Ethiopia is the blessed nation that is preserving the true tenets of Judaic-Christianity. All Africans, that confess Christianity, should seek out their Christian theology and culture via Ethiopia. Ras Antar

Posted by Ras Antar on December 17,2007 | 11:39 AM

It is really intereseting and wonderful story. The article - wow! nicely constructed. Paul Raffaele, you are greatly appreciated.

Posted by Adane Fekadu on December 15,2007 | 08:24 PM

'Poor' people rich in Christian tradition. Christianity does more than wonder. Great story!

Posted by Abram on December 15,2007 | 05:05 PM

Dear Paul Raffael you are one of the chosen one. look and you shall find. you went to find the ark then you find yourself God is finding you. in turn you touch all of us with the story of God and men. nothing to proof or disproof believing is just that. what a wonderful story mary Christmas to all one love !

Posted by z on December 11,2007 | 02:08 PM

Only those who are realy internally spiritual and have heavenly thinking can appreciate it and will understand how true and ancient Christian nation is Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a symbol of independence and dignity with no cultural and spiritual pollution. Thank you

Posted by Zion on December 5,2007 | 08:38 PM

I why is not seeing the Ark bu any one?

Posted by taddese on December 3,2007 | 12:37 PM



Advertisement


Advertisement

Follow Us





First Name
Last Name
Address 1
Address 2
City
State   Zip
Email


Travel with Smithsonian




Smithsonian Store