Merry Christmas!

Today, Jan 7th 2008, is the Ethiopian Christmas!
Caleb & I went to an evening Christmas service last night at St. Gebriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Seattle. It was an amazing experience and VERY long! The service went from 7pm until midnight. Unfortunately we had to leave after only 4 hours and didn't make it to the end of the service.

Everyone was very nice to us. I found I was more anxious about doing something wrong (like sitting on the wrong side of the sanctuary or sitting down or leaving to use the bathroom) than about language or race. When we first arrived we noticed the gender segregated seating; only men were sitting on the left, while only women were sitting on the right. As we took off our shoes we discussed what to do. Just then someone came up to us and ask if we had found seats yet. Then he ushered us to seats on the left side and I ask him if it was OK that we sat together and he assured us it was fine. After awhile I was no longer the only female on the left side of the church. As the service progressed more and more people came. The pews were completely packed elbow to elbow and then all the standing room up the aisle and across the back and even the foyer area.

I felt bad leaving early, the end must be the best part of the service, cause we did get some strange looks. But I was so tired from standing nearly the whole 4 hours (Caleb stood the whole time! While other women sat for short times, the men never sat down!) and the incense was overpowering, the room became hazy from it all. The woman who ended up sitting right next to me was very kind. Her name was Azeb and we got a chance to chat slightly between parts of the service when there was a lull (it was also the only time everyone sat down).

I think the whole experience could only have been better if my friend Addis (who told me about the service and goes to the chruch regularly) had been there. She told me that she had guests and that the service was too late for her children (that should have been a clue to how long the service would be, me already knowing that the Sunday service is 3 1/2 hours long!)

Merry Christmas!