Ethiopians celebrate Fasika, Orthodox Easter, amid calls for peace

Ethiopia

On the occasion of Fasika, the Ethiopian Easter, religious leaders have charged citizens to remain peaceful and to support government’s reform efforts, state-affiliated FANA Broadcasting Corporate said.

FBC cited messages from Abune Mathias, Patriach of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church; Berhane Eyesus, a Catholic Cardinal; Pastor Tsadiku Abdo, President of the Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia and others, all of which touched on peace, fraternity, unity and development.

Thousands of Orthodox faithful across the country celebrate Easter today (April 8), their particular celebration comes anywhere from a week to two weeks after that of the western Church even though sometimes, they occur at the same time.

Ethiopia follows the Eastern Orthodox calendar for which reason it has a different dating system and often celebrates Christmas and New Year separately from that of the widely used Gregorian calender.

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Fasika (Easter) follows eight weeks of fasting from meat and dairy. On Easter Eve, Ethiopian Christians participate in an hours-long church service that ends around 3 a.m., after which they break their fast and celebrate the risen Christ.

Ethiopians on social media platform and well wishers are using “Melcam Fasika” to express greetings and to share memories.

Easter (Fasika) celebrated in Addis Ababa #Ethiopia

Via anadoluagency pic.twitter.com/sdogO46nIC
— Positively Ethiopian (PositivelyEthio) April 8, 2018

Ethiopian Orthodox Easter festivities are underway – wishing #Ethiopians a happy #Easter #Fasika #Ethiopia pic.twitter.com/zvo2756zah
— EthiopianStories (@EthiopianStory) April 7, 2018

Melkam Fasika to all our Ethiopian friends and colleagues in the EUtoAU and the _AfricanUnion
— Ranieri Sabatucci (@SabatucciEU) April 8, 2018

#MelkamFasika!

Best wishes to all Ethiopians, at home and abroad, celebrating #Fasika, from all of us at the Embassy in London.

?: A pilgrim in #Ethiopia’s historic city of Lalibela. #HappyEaster #EasterSunday #Easter pic.twitter.com/LBX02h1uvA
— Ethiopian Embassy UK ?? (@EthioEmbassyUK) April 8, 2018

Today Ethiopian?? & Russian?? Orthodox Christians are united by the holy celebration of Easter! Peace and calm to your homes and families!#MelkamFasika! #ХристосВоскрес pic.twitter.com/V3pqSwziEH
— Russia in Ethiopia (@RusEmbEthiopia) April 8, 2018

Happy Easter to all my Ethiopian friends and people. Melkam Fasika wherever you are celebrating. Peace and love!
— emmanuel Igunza (@EmmanuelIgunza) April 7, 2018