With help from Essam Saad Foster Parents Plan Egypt Celebrating the Ethiopian New Year Ethiopia celebrates New Year s Day in its own colorful way. New Year s Day marks the end of heavy rain and its associated dangers. Floods are over, and there is no more fear of thunderstorms. The foggy, gloomy climate gives way to a bright one. Fragrant flowers cover the muddy fields.
Greenery is everywhere, and there is no shortage of food.
The Maskal birds that migrated during the rainy season re-appear. Hibernating frogs come to the surface and sing. On the eve of the New Year, children leave their homes to assemble in groups. They sing and present the grass to anyone they find at home or along the way. After performing the evening s festivities, the children return home to begin the lighting ceremony.