The Calendar
There are 13 months in the Ethiopian Calendar! Each month has 30 days and the last month has only 5 or 6 days. New Year's is celebrated in September and there is a 7 year difference with the western calendar. For example, in 2009 it is actually 2002 in Ethiopia--they already had their New Year celebration in September.
The Clock/Time of Day
The Ethiopian clock begins & changes time at first light or at 6am rather than at midnight. When you ask an Ethiopian what time it is, although, it's 12 n00n because the sun is right above your head, they would tell you that it's 6:00 o'clock (in the morning) which is also when the date changes; at 6am rather than 12 midnight. It can be very confusing!
The Food
Ethiopian food has a lot of flavor with a wonderful blend of spices. The basic meal usually includes "injera" and "wot". The injera is like our bread and looks like French crepes or pancakes. The "wot" is like a stew that may use all types of ingredients like beef, lamb, chicken, lentils, split peas, potatoes, carrots, spinach, cabbage, and green beans. The injera is used in the place of a fork to pick up the stew and then eat it all together. The key to the flavor of the stew is the spiced butter and berbere powder. There are plenty of dishes for vegetarians and vegans, but the main traditional dish is "doro wot", or chicken stew.
There are 13 months in the Ethiopian Calendar! Each month has 30 days and the last month has only 5 or 6 days. New Year's is celebrated in September and there is a 7 year difference with the western calendar. For example, in 2009 it is actually 2002 in Ethiopia--they already had their New Year celebration in September.
The Clock/Time of Day
The Ethiopian clock begins & changes time at first light or at 6am rather than at midnight. When you ask an Ethiopian what time it is, although, it's 12 n00n because the sun is right above your head, they would tell you that it's 6:00 o'clock (in the morning) which is also when the date changes; at 6am rather than 12 midnight. It can be very confusing!
The Food
Ethiopian food has a lot of flavor with a wonderful blend of spices. The basic meal usually includes "injera" and "wot". The injera is like our bread and looks like French crepes or pancakes. The "wot" is like a stew that may use all types of ingredients like beef, lamb, chicken, lentils, split peas, potatoes, carrots, spinach, cabbage, and green beans. The injera is used in the place of a fork to pick up the stew and then eat it all together. The key to the flavor of the stew is the spiced butter and berbere powder. There are plenty of dishes for vegetarians and vegans, but the main traditional dish is "doro wot", or chicken stew.
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