Christmas in Addis!

When you are this far away from home, nothing is the same - not even Christmas. In fact, the day itself is celebrated on January 7th here in Ethiopia. The focus of the celebration is socializing with friends/family and eating. Butchering a goat is common practice for those who can afford it. There are no decorations, no presents and no hype. As refreshing as this may sound, it was not going to cut it for my five year old. So in typical North American fashion, we wrote a letter to Santa. Sure enough, he was able to find us on the 25th and fill the stockings with lots of fun stuff (that surely boosted the local economy)! It was pure joy for me to sit back and watch my boys, finally TOGETHER, experience the magic of the morning....



Thankfully there are a couple of spots in Addis that regularly swarm with international guests - guests who celebrate Christmas on the 25th! And, when you are staying at the Hilton, there is really only one place to go if you want to "raise it up a notch" for such a special occasion.......the Sheraton. It did not disappoint. The decorations, music and atmosphere quickly injected much needed Christmas spirit into us all.







We spent most of the day at the pool, but also slowly wandered though the hotel marveling at the scenery. Although I would have loved to have been with the rest of my family (sipping umbrella drinks on a tropical island in the Pacific.....damn visa), it was indeed a unique experience to be in Addis. My last trip to Addis fell over Easter, so I seem to have the religious holidays covered here!

Blessings and peace to you all.

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."
- Roy L. Smith