Happy Ethiopian New Year! and Remembering 9/11

Daisies for New Year

Here's something new I learned:

Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year, means "Gift of Jewels" and falls on September 11th on the western calendar (Meskerem 1 on the Ethiopian calendar). This festival also celebrates the Feast of John the Baptist at the end of the long heavy rains in spring, when the highlands become covered in wild flowers. Children dressed in new clothes dance through the villages, distributing garlands and tiny paintings. In the evening every house lights a bonfire and there is singing and dancing. Historically Meskerem 1 also marked the return of the Queen of Sheba to Ethiopia after her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem.

So, Happy New Year!

Today also marks 9/11, the day that no one will ever forget. I remember standing in the living room watching the news in horror and disbelief, and then calling all our friends and family to pray together and say, "I love you." That day birthed a new patriotism in both Michael and me along with most Americans. Today, we remember.