Yesterday was Easter in Ethiopia. The holiday, called Fasika, is celebrated in Orthodox churches throughout the country. Preceded by an intense 56-day period of fasting, the religious ceremony is celebrated through music and dance, followed by symbolic animal sacrifices and food and drink.
Though these religious practices can be quite different from our Easter traditions here in the United States, families who have adopted Ethiopian children are often eager to learn more about the culture and traditions of their child’s country of origin. With the growing number of Ethiopian adoptions in our country, there are support groups cropping up on Yahoo in numerous cities throughout the United States. Here in Charlotte, Ethiopia to Charlotte is a popular Yahoo group exclusively for families with an adopted Ethiopian child or for families who are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. This type of group may be an ideal place for families to learn more about the Ethiopian culture and to share their experiences with one another. As there is not a strong local Ethiopian subculture, these adoptive families may face more challenges than other international adoptive families, such as those who have adopted from China or Russia.
With 1,725 Ethiopian adoptions in the United States last year and that number growing exponentially this year, the networking of these families is becoming stronger and will hopefully increase awareness of the Ethiopian culture even on a local level here in Charlotte. As Charlotte becomes more cosmopolitan, this type of multi culturalism promises to make our city even more interesting for visitors and citizens alike.
You can leave a comment below.