Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia have been celebrating Easter at churches across the country. They mark the day by fasting for 55 days prior to Easter, abstaining from meat and animal products. The country is home to the largest Orthodox population outside Europe.
On the eve of what is the country’s most celebrated religious holiday, worshippers wearing traditional white clothing attend church services lasting into the early hours of the morning. At Kidus Gebreil Church in Addis Ababa, priests, deacons, and worshippers marked the day together on Sunday.
The head of the church, Megabi Hadis Leake Mariam, said during a service that they were celebrating the date their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He emphasised that when they say this, they are witnessing the resurrection of Jesus Christ in this service and highlighting that just as He rose from death, they believers will also rise.
During the Easter period, family members and friends travel from faraway places to be with their loved ones. While most Western churches observed Easter on 31 March, Eastern Orthodox churches follow the older Julian calendar, marking the holiday across the world on Sunday.