EL Etiopiassa

Haita (siis naimisiinmenoja) – Weddings

toukokuu 8, 2009 at 10:20 am (1)

Viime viikonloppuna sain olla vieraana kaksissa etiopialaisissa haissa. Alkusoittona naille kurkkailin perjantaina kaupungilla kulkiessani kauempaa ortodoksista haaparia ja heidan seuruettaan.

Last weekend I had an opportunity to enter two Ethiopian weddings. As an introduction for them I zoomed from a distance at an othodox wedding couple and their escort.

Perjantai-iltana molempien morsiamien kodeissa valmistauduttiin h-hetkeen, eri tavoin. Ensimmaisessa morsiustalossa valmistettiin koristeluja ja muita kaytannon jarjestelyja. Toisessa puolestaan vietettiin perinteista gurage-kansan iltaa, jossa alunperin poistettiin morisamelta kynnet, jottei han haayona neitsyytensa menettaessaan raapisi sulhoa verille. Tama tapahtui nyt kuitenkin vain veratuskuvallisesti (onneksi!) villin tanssin, laulun ja muun ilonpidon saestyksella. Ja mukana oli koko morsiamen suku vanhoista viisaista naisista sylivauvoihin.

At Friday night in both bridehouses the preparations for the crucial moment were made in different ways. In the first house decorations and other practical preparations were at stake. In second one there was a traditional gurage night with the original purpose to remove the bride’s nails so that she wouldn’t scratch the groom’s back to blood when loosing her virginity in the wedding night. This time it happened only methaphorically (luckily!) accompanied by wild dancing, singing and other celebrations. All the family of the bride from the wise old ladies to little babies participated the feast.

Molemmat varsinaiset haatapahtumat pidettiin protestanttisissa kirkoissa ja sen jalkeen syomapuoli ravintolatiloissa. Kaikkea ohjelmaa molemmissa haissa leimasi vahva uskonnollinen ylistys. Morsiusparin kunniaksi ei puheita pidetty, kaikki laulu ja tanssi (tanssilta se minulle naytti) suoritettiin Jumalan kunniaksi. Tunnelma oli kylla katossaan tallakin mallilla.
Varsinkin jalkimmaisissa haissa perinteiset ruokapoydat notkuivat herkkuja. Erityissijansa sai raaka liha, jota veistettiin telineessa roikkuvista ruhoista isoina paloina suoraan lautasille. Itse maistoin vain jauhettua versiota, jota lapsena meillakin syotiin.
Kun viralliset haat paattyivat ja morsiuspari poistui privaattiin, morsiamen aiti jatkoi mallisempaa meininkia grillauksineen ja tej’n ja tellan (paikallisia alkoholijuomia) juonteineen ja villeinen tansseineen morsiustalossa.

Both official weddings were held in protestant churches and afterwards in restaurants. All the program was strongly labeled by religious worship. There were no speeches ain honour of the bride and bridegroom, all the singing and dancing (that’s what it looked to me) was in honour of God. The atmosphere was high also in this manner.
Especially in the latter occasion the traditional dishes were various. Raw meat was especially appreciated. It was cut straight from the corpses of the animals that were hanging by the table into big pieces on the plates. I personally tasted only the mashed version which we also used to eat at home when we were kids.
After the official wedding and the new married had left the mother of the bride continued the earthly celebrations with barbecue, drinking tej and tella and dancing wildly in their home.

Tassa kuvia lahinna Fitsumin ja Teferin haista.

These photos are mainly from Fitsum’s and Teferi’s wedding.

Kysyin eroja ortodoksisen valtavaeston haihin ja sain tietaa, etta vain muutama prosentti ortodokseista viettaa kirkkohaita, osittain koska ne merkitsevat myos luopmista avioeron mahdollisuudesta. Eli meno on yleensa haissa yhdistelma maallista koreutta ja perinnemenoja.

I asked about the differences to the weddings of the othodox majority, and I was told that only a few procent of the ordinary people want to have church wedding, partly because in that case they would also give up the possibility of divorce. So, usually the weddings are a combination of secular luxury and tradition.

Viela pari kuvaa hotelli Gionin pihalta, jossa oli ainakin 7 paria yhtaaikaa kuvauttamassa juhliaan

Still a couple of photos from Hotel Gion where there were at least 7 couples at the same time taking photos.

Suuri strategiatyopaja jarjestossamme lahenee, ensi viikolla olen taysin siina touhussa.

The big strategy workshop is approaching in our NGO, next week I will be totally reserved on that.