The Land of 13 Months of Sunshine For many people around the world, mentioning Ethiopia brings to mind the images of famine, drought and poverty. Although those disasters were prevented years ago, they still haunt the country’s international image. It is true that Ethiopia has had its share of natural and manmade problems, but they do not truly define what Ethiopia is today. Ethiopia has always been a nation blessed with many unique natural, cultural, and historical wonders. There are various things that differentiate the country from its neighbors. Of all the African countries, Ethiopia has indigenous cultures that are not influenced by modern civilization enabling it to retain its traditions and values of life for over three thousand
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However, most significant is the fact that Ethiopia was home to the earliest known human ancestors. In November of 1993 in the East African Rift valley known as the “Cradle of Humankind,” a skeleton called Lucy was discovered. The fossil was more than three million years old, much older than any others known at the time. “Lucy” or as Ethiopian descendent prefers to call her “Dinknesh” literally means, “You are wonderful”. She got this nickname after the Beatles song “Lucy in the sky Diamonds,” which was playing on a tape recorder as scientists Donald Johanson and Tom Gray celebrated the discovery of her skeleton [1]. She was the most complete and oldest adult human ancestor retrieved from Ethiopian soil. Lucy gave the world a glimpse of what older ancestors would look like. The discovery of her skeleton has completed the missing link between apes and men that paved the way for searching for our origins. “When we get down to the basic of human origins, there’s no more important piece than the oldest complete human, or human ancestor remains, than Lucy.”[1] She broadcasts loud and clear that we all united by our past, we all have a common history, though we may be vastly different, our origins all lead backs to the crucible human evolution that is Ethiopia. Therefore, being the origin of mankind makes the country unique from the rest of the world because it’s the home of our common and very …show more content…
In the tenth century, the story of coffee began in the 14th century in the southern Ethiopian lands of keffa region. It is thought the word coffee was borrowed from Kaffa. According to Ethiopian’s ancient history, a shepherd named kaldi discovered coffee. He noticed his goats prancing about restlessly after chewing the bright red berries that grew on some green bushes nearby. Curiosity took hold and tried the berries for himself. Like his goats, kaldi felt the energizing effects of the coffee cherries. He shared his findings with a monk. Upon arrival at the monastery kaldi’s coffee beans were not greeted with elation, but with disdain. One monk called kaldi’s findings as “the devil’s work” and tossed it into a fire. However, the aroma of the roasting beans was enough the monk to give this novelty a second chance. From that time on, coffee is known as Ethiopia’s crown and glory of its high quality and distinctive flavor. Today, Coffee is the real beverage of choice in Ethiopia and remains central to Ethiopian culture and heritage. It is shared with family and friends through daily coffee ceremonies often occurring throughout the day lasting up to several hours. The elaborate coffee ceremony is Ethiopian’s traditional form of hospitality. The ceremony is typically conducted by a young woman in the traditional Ethiopian white dress with colored woven borders. The lengthy Ethiopian
However, most significant is the fact that Ethiopia was home to the earliest known human ancestors. In November of 1993 in the East African Rift valley known as the “Cradle of Humankind,” a skeleton called Lucy was discovered. The fossil was more than three million years old, much older than any others known at the time. “Lucy” or as Ethiopian descendent prefers to call her “Dinknesh” literally means, “You are wonderful”. She got this nickname after the Beatles song “Lucy in the sky Diamonds,” which was playing on a tape recorder as scientists Donald Johanson and Tom Gray celebrated the discovery of her skeleton [1]. She was the most complete and oldest adult human ancestor retrieved from Ethiopian soil. Lucy gave the world a glimpse of what older ancestors would look like. The discovery of her skeleton has completed the missing link between apes and men that paved the way for searching for our origins. “When we get down to the basic of human origins, there’s no more important piece than the oldest complete human, or human ancestor remains, than Lucy.”[1] She broadcasts loud and clear that we all united by our past, we all have a common history, though we may be vastly different, our origins all lead backs to the crucible human evolution that is Ethiopia. Therefore, being the origin of mankind makes the country unique from the rest of the world because it’s the home of our common and very …show more content…
In the tenth century, the story of coffee began in the 14th century in the southern Ethiopian lands of keffa region. It is thought the word coffee was borrowed from Kaffa. According to Ethiopian’s ancient history, a shepherd named kaldi discovered coffee. He noticed his goats prancing about restlessly after chewing the bright red berries that grew on some green bushes nearby. Curiosity took hold and tried the berries for himself. Like his goats, kaldi felt the energizing effects of the coffee cherries. He shared his findings with a monk. Upon arrival at the monastery kaldi’s coffee beans were not greeted with elation, but with disdain. One monk called kaldi’s findings as “the devil’s work” and tossed it into a fire. However, the aroma of the roasting beans was enough the monk to give this novelty a second chance. From that time on, coffee is known as Ethiopia’s crown and glory of its high quality and distinctive flavor. Today, Coffee is the real beverage of choice in Ethiopia and remains central to Ethiopian culture and heritage. It is shared with family and friends through daily coffee ceremonies often occurring throughout the day lasting up to several hours. The elaborate coffee ceremony is Ethiopian’s traditional form of hospitality. The ceremony is typically conducted by a young woman in the traditional Ethiopian white dress with colored woven borders. The lengthy Ethiopian