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Christmas in Ethiopia is celebrated on January 7th each year, unlike most African countries which celebrates on December 25th. This is because Ethiopia still follows the ancient Julian calendar for religious celebrations. Called Ganna by Ethiopians, Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ with significant religious activities across the country.
Leading up to Ganna is a 43-day fasting period called Tsome Nebiyat, or “Fast of the Prophets.” During this fast, followers do not take any animal products or using psychoactive substances, including alcohol. Only one vegan meal is eaten per day. The fast is thought to cleanse the body and spirit in preparation for the Savior’s birth.
When the fast concludes on January 7th, Christmas Day begins with a small celebratory breakfast, followed by church services and a large feast enjoyed in community with family and friends later in the day. The dishes served at the Ethiopian Christmas feast reflect the importance of breaking the fast properly, the community spirit of the holiday, and the national culture and traditions of this ancient land.
Christmas in Ethiopia is a joyous occasion filled with fasting, feasting, family, and of course—food. Ethiopian Christmas foods spreads are vibrant, complex, and simply mouthwatering.
10 Traditional Ethiopian Christmas Foods
Doro Wot
The star of Ethiopian Christmas is doro wot, a chicken stew packed with heat and soul. This dish brings the family together on Christmas morning to scoop up the fragrant sauce with injera flatbread.
Doro wot is a chicken drumsticks or thighs simmered in a sauce of caramelized onions, garlic, ginger, berbere spice mix, pepper, and nit’r kibbeh spiced clarified butter. The result is a deep red stew with simmering heat, aromatic spices, and tender chicken. It’s served with a boiled egg per person.
The richness of the stew is often balanced with a side of ayibe Ethiopian cheese or homemade yogurt. An essential part of the Ethiopian Christmas experience.
Sega Wot
While doro wot makes the morning, sega wot rules the rest of the Christmas feast. This beef stew shares much of the same warming spice profile. However, chunks of tender beef take center stage.
Like doro wot, onions caramelize in nit’r kibbeh before garlic, ginger, berbere, and beef are added to simmer. When the beef reaches melting tenderness, it’s served atop injera again with more yogurt or cheese on the side.
Alecha Sega Wot
For those desiring something milder, alecha sega wot fits the bill. Rather than the complex berbere spice blend, this “fasting” beef stew gets its gentle flavor from turmeric, garlic, ginger, onions, and pepper.
Still hearty and comforting, alecha sega wot lets the natural flavor of the beef shine. It makes a soothing Christmas meal after the spices of doro wot.
Fit-Fit
When the kids get tired of stew, fit-fit often comes to the rescue. Fit-fit offers a change of texture from the standard stews. This dish turns shredded injera into the base of the dish soaking up the flavors of onion, nit’r kibbeh, turmeric, and tender beef chunks or chicken.
Served mild, this dish resembles porridge. However, those wanting more spice can season further with awazi chili sauce or berbere. The play of textures between the soft injera and tender meat makes fit-fit a family-friendly Christmas dish.
Tibs
For those desiring something quick, tibs offers relief. These sautéed beef or lamb strips cook up fast, landing hot and juicy right on the plate.
Marinated in a paste of rosemary, chili powder, garlic, salt, and pepper, the meat keeps its signature spicing even when cooked to desired doneness. Served with or atop bread or injera, tibs make an easy addition to the Christmas spread.
The signature awazi chili sauce served on the side also livens up any dish needing a kick. Tibs offer a simple way to get another dish on the crowded holiday table.
Kitfo
While dishes like doro wot may start the day, kitfo keeps the Christmas party going. Kitfo impresses with its vibrant red color and irresistible aroma of chili powder spices. However, its taste divides eaters between elation and fear.
See, kitfo contains raw minced beef or lamb tossed with mitmita spice blend, chili powder, cardamom, and an herbal butter called niter kibbeh. For locals, kitfo captures the essence of Ethiopian cuisine’s rustic, bold flavors. The texture falls somewhere between steak tartare and crumbled hamburger.
For timid palates, cooks prepare kitfo leb leb or war war, meaning extra-raw or cooked through. Once cooked, kitfo loses its striking red hue but keeps warming spices. Served with injera or local bread, the rich tastes mingle in the mouth and chart new territory for your taste buds.
View Kitfo Recipe
Dulet
Another raw minced meat dish called dulet sometimes makes an appearance. However, dulet amps up the variety of meat and spices.
Expect to find tripe, liver, lean meat, chili powder, onion, garlic, ginger and more in this cold mixture. Dulet packs a diversity of flavors and textures bundled in each scoop. Paired with injera or bread, it makes a zesty start to the post-fast meal.
Ayibe
No matter what meat dishes grace the table, ayibe will be their companion. This stretchy Ethiopian cheese teams up with stews and raw meat offerings in need of richness.
Ayibe starts by fermenting goat or cow milk to turn it solid. After draining the curds and whey, spices mix in. Typically mitmita and chili powder flavor the tangy cheese, but occasionally black cumin and rosemary contribute too.
The bright yellow wheels or logs of ayibe then get sliced, fried or baked for serving. Ethiopians crumble the spiced cheese into fit-fit, kitfo, dulet, or on injera with gomen collard greens. Ayibe’s salty, spicy and tang balances the heat of the accompanying dishes.
Gomen Kitfo
Speaking of gomen, or collard greens, this vegetable plays an important role during fasting periods like Christmas Eve. Dubbed “gomen kitfo,” this dish parallels the spices and preparation of kitfo without the meat.
Chopped collards wilt in a pan with onion, garlic, niter kibbeh and generous spices like mitmita, rosemary, chili, and cardamom. Served warm or at room temperature, gomen kitfo makes a colorful meatless kitfo alternative. The greens take well to the warming spices.
Whether scooping up with bread or eating solo, gomen kitfo offers a break from gluten and meat in the Christmas spread.
Defo Dabo
Once the bountiful platters of stew empty and spices settle, one dish remains: defo dabo. This traditional bread loaves together families for the holiday.
As fasting breaks for the Christmas feast, the head of house passes around defo dabo flatbread. Tearing pieces off the large round loaf, the leader doles out bread with blessings and well wishes attached to each portion.
The bread forms a shared connection across the generations. Paired with spiced coffee or tea, defo dabo ensures happy stomachs and souls on Christmas.
The Preparations Continue
For weeks before Christmas, an air of excitement and industry fills Ethiopian households. Women gather to grind spices, chop onions, and prepare niter kibbeh, berbere, awazi sauce, and more staples for the impending splurge of Christmas dishes.
When the fasting lifts, their diligent efforts manifest in a vibrant cuisine like no other. The heady aroma of simmering stews, earthy smell of just-baked bread and nostalgic spicing of coffee signal the official start of holiday feasting. For family and friends separated by miles or continents, thoughts drift back to these tastes of home.
