A different kind of Easter celebration

Well, my Easter dress as well as my Easter meal looked a little different this year than usual. I got the chance to go out near the village and eat with a family as they celebrated the holiday, so I figured it would be a good cultural experience and a chance to practice the language a little. I bought the dress I am wearing while I was in the other city a couple of weeks ago. Out there, all the women wore tye dye dresses and tye dye head scarves. It seemed like a good idea at the time to buy one. However, I am not so sure that they are currently “in style” out in my village. Nevertheless, I still wore my tye dye proudly.

Me in the tye dye, with one of the daughters. The baby is obviously not a national 🙂

Lunch consisted of injera (that’s a given), chicken stew-ish, boiled cabbage, goat cheese mixed with spinach, boiled eggs in a spicy sauce, and coffee and roasted grain to finish it off. I actually semi-enjoyed it (although I might have preferred my grandma’s deviled eggs) and ate as much of it as I could. They like to pile your plates up with way more food than you would ever eat and I always feel guilty when I am unable to finish it. The menu listed above is quite a lavish spread and would only be served on a very big holiday. Of course, the nationals won’t actually eat with you, but will sit there and serve you as you eat the very best and most expensive meal they will probably eat all year and be quite honored to serve you as you eat. It is a difficult concept for me to grasp. I continuously feel guilty that I am eating their food and they aren’t, but I was told on the way home that it means more to them to serve us and show us hospitality than for them to actually sit down and eat the meal with us. Truly, a new level of servanthood for me to experience.

This woman came in while we were eating and we were told that she can't hear and doesn't have any children. The father of this baby, picked up his child and took her to this woman. You should have seen how incredibly her face lit up! A sweet moment.