Melkam Lidet!

For many people, January 1st marks the end of the holiday season… unless you count the Super Bowl, which is usually at the end of the month or the beginning of February. The festivities are over, normalcy returns, and people settle back into their regular routines. It almost seems like there is nothing exciting to look forward to. So, the date of January 7th doesn’t even appear as a blip on the radar. To most it is simply another day. To Ethiopians however, it is Christmas Day. Many Rastafari, especially those who follow Ethiopian Orthodox traditions, also recognize this holiday as an important celebration of their faith.

Since the time I started to sight up Rastafari, I came to recognize “Lidet”, or the “Birth of Iyesus Kristos (Jesus Christ)” as the true Christmas. When trodding the road of a Rastaman, one approaches things in a more conscious and spiritual fashion. Looking through those spectacles at the so-called Christmas holiday that is celebrated in most of the world, it is not too difficult to see why someone such as a Rastafarian may question the authenticity and true purpose of the occasion. Today, it is a secular holiday more than anything else, often times stripped of even its own origins. For example, “Xmas” replaces Christ-mass, “Christ’s festival”, commemorating the birth of Jesus. The originally noble idea of exchanging gifts becomes perverted as the main focus, rampant with consumerism and commercialization. Debauchery replaces devout thanksgiving and reflection. Images of Santa Claus, Christmas trees, reindeer, and talking snowmen replace the image of the Christ. All of this may seem trivial, especially to the more religious followers of Christmas who spend their time in church and praying at nativity scenes, but if you dig deep enough one might question whether or not the Western Churches themselves have hijacked the celebration of the Christ’s birth.

In Ancient Rome, Christianity became the Empire’s official religion in the late 4th century A.D., thanks to the efforts of Constantine and his successor Theodosius. Long after Christ’s lifetime, it can be argued that adopting Christianity was a political maneuver for the decaying Roman Empire. By this time classic paganism was out of fashion, and Christianity seemed to be the proper fit, especially with a growing population of Gentile converts. The history of the process is much longer and more complex than I describe here, but to put it simply, Rome adopts, hijacks, or even creates the Christian religion as we understand it today, and establishes the Catholic Church and therefore all the churches succeeding from it… even down to the most fundamentalist non-denominational church. Where does Christmas fit in on all of this? …Conveniently, on December 25th, a pagan Roman festival and the date of the winter solstice. It is almost without any doubt that Jesus the Christ was not born on December 25th, it was chosen in order to replace one festival with another, merely changing the person it was intended for. Ironically, in our secular world the paganism of Santa Claus and the other popular Christmas motifs have replaced the Christ that the Romans presented.

Ethiopia, the cradle of humanity, and the ancient land described in the Scriptures themselves, offers the alternative to this “paganism” of the Western Christmas. Ethiopia’s special history is like no other in the world. This history stretches back to the dawn of time and before recorded history, but some of it is described in the Kebra Negast, or “Glory of Kings”. The ancient text shares how Ethiopians are descendants of Israelite tribes who came to Ethiopia with Menelik I, son of King Solomon of Israel and Makeda or the Queen of Sheba, from which His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I is the 225th descendant of this royal lineage. For thousands of years thereafter, Beta Israel, or the “House of Israel”, practiced ancient Hebraic customs found in the Old Testament. The connection to ancient Israel is so strong that Ethiopians to this day claim to have the Ark of the Covenant. When Christianity began to spread out from the Holy Land, one of the first places it reached was Ethiopia. According to history, Christianity existed in Ethiopia by 330 A.D., decades before Rome officially became Christianized. This unique brand of Christianity, coupled with the Hebraic history of Ethiopia, created a Messianic faith, closest to that found in the Bible, in Ancient Israel, and in the life of… Iyesus Kristos. This is why not only Ethiopian Orthodox Christians celebrate Lidet, but also the Rastafari people.

The way Ethiopia celebrates Lidet, or Genna as it is also known, is in stark contrast to that of Western Christmas. On the day before Lidet, people fast all day. Once this is done, they dress in their traditional clothing and attend mass. The people carry candles and join the priests who dress in their turbans and robes (the inspiration for the Bobo Ashanti Rastas) while carrying crosses and embroided umbrellas in solemn processions to their churches. The aroma of oils and incense fill the air, the sound of chanting and prayers. Traditionally, gifts are not exchanged, there are no Christmas trees, and there are no meaningless decorations. Ethiopian Christians have a large feast with family members in celebration of the Birth of Iyesus Kristos, and children play a ball game that legend says the shepherds played when they heard of Iyesus’ birth. Twelve days after Lidet, Timkat, the celebration of Iyesus Kristos’ baptism is celebrated, with more solemn processions accompanied by the sound of priests playing their sistrums along with the rhythmic taping of their makamiya prayer-sticks. It is a beautiful reflection of an ancient moment in time, in a land where the people are historically and actively Christian.

Ye-Genna Be'al, “The Christmas Holiday”, of Ethiopia is a Christmas of spiritual significance, religious observance, feasting and time with family. This is why, as a Rastaman, I observe Lidet in my heart. I give thanks for the coming of I&I Lord and Savior, Iyesus Kristos, offering prayers to the Most High! I give thanks with a purpose! This is not to say that I did not spend time with my family celebrating and rejoicing on December 25th. To me, I don’t really see that day as the True Christ-mass, but I give thanks to JAH still, and I spend precious time with loved ones. Fortunately, my family is not driven by the Babylon concept of Xmas and so I am comfortable celebrating with them, because it is a senseless and backwards thing to try and change a traditional day around. Instead, it is about changing the heart around. Even the King of Kings, Haile Selassie I, addressed Christian Americans on December 25th, sending them well wishes on this “blessed day for mankind”. In an interview on another Christ-mass Day, H.I.M. Haile Selassie I said that, "The birth of Our Lord is a joyous family event" and that "…The birth of Christ is celebrated all over the world. When I say the whole world it does not mean that all people would observe it in the same manner". So, who better to follow in this time than King Selassie I? His wise words reveal to me that even though Lidet represents Roots Christianity, the intentions and love of the heart are what really celebrate Iyesus Kristos, be that on December 25th or January 7th.

Give thanks to the Lord and Savior Iyesus Kristos, Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, for unto I&I a child is born and unto I&I a Son is given! Give thanks also to Haile Selassie I, Defender of the Faith, and Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah! Blessed be this day, Lebrhane Lidetu!, “Light of the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ”. Melkam Lidet! Melkam Ye-Genna Be’al! Blessed Christ-mass to all!

Rastafari,
JAHsh