On Friday, we celebrated Maskal (or the more correctly, the eve of Maskal) in Addis Ababa. My wonderful and warm boss, Ato Derbew Temesgen, invited Eric, Mary and myself to attend the Maskal celebrations in Maskal Square and then to join him and his family in traditional Maskal celebrations at his home.
He picked us up in his blue Volkswagen Beetle and drove us to Maskal Square. We had to park a distance away from the square and walk, as many of the roads were closed and people were traveling on foot to partake in the celebrations. We arrived at the Maskal Square in what was the middle of strong rains meaning that everything was covered in mud. You had to go through a security checkpoint and then you went and sat in the stands around Maskal Square. By way of background, Maskal Square is the central hub in Addis Ababa where many of the minibuses, buses and taxis stop and it is surrounded by tall buildings. It is a major roadway/intersection and is the host site for many major celebrations. Apparently, Emperor Haile Selassie used to sit at the top of Maskal Square in his days as emperor for special functions.
Now, back to the story. The stands were essentially steps made of cement and mud and it was extremely wet and muddy after the rains. Initially, we were allowed to stand, but as the music and dance performance started, all spectators had to sit down. This was the day I decided to wear light coloured pants, meaning that sitting really was not an option. I ended up squatting (thank goodness for yoga and the experience with the Asian toilets) in order to avoid sitting in the mud. We thought that they would light the Torch (major conical torch which symbolizes the pinnacle of Maskal celebrations) but apparently (as we soon found out), this would not be done for another 3 hours. As such, we left the celebrations early in order to make it to Ato Derbew’s house to celebrate Maskal with his family.
Once there, we were treated to an evening of feasting, fun, feasting, dancing, music, and ceremony. Let me just say that the food was fantastic – we had injera, shiro, rice pilaf, oodles of vegetables, a large loaf of delicious bread which Ato Derbew and his wife carved to start off the eating, tons of popcorn, juice, snacks and so much more. We were absolutely stuffed. The food was amazing!
We also lit a Damara (a large pile of sticks/structure, torch) and he lit several firecrackers. We danced/walked around the fire, clapping and laughing the whole time. I completely adore the absolute abandon with which people here celebrate – there is no sense of self-consciousness – just a genuine expression of joy, warmth, elation and celebration. Thank you so much Ato Derbew and family for such a fantastic time! We are so honoured to have been included in your celebration and so thrilled to have experienced a Maskal celebration first-hand. It means the world to us!
