Erecha

The Erecha celebrations are held in Debre Zeit every year surrounding a giant sycamore tree that overlooks a crater lake. The celebration is an ancient tradition based on a nature religion of the Oromo people. Grass and flowers are offered both to the lake and to the tree as a demonstration of fertility. The morning was very calm and sacred, with chanting and incense burning. By the afternoon however, basically all of Ethiopia seemed to be in one square mile of forest, creating the largest crowd I have ever experienced. The riot police showed up to try and calm down the celebrations but they really just ruined the mood. They looked a little bit like storm troopers. On the way to lunch we were all almost trampled by the hordes of people, and we were pushed right through the middle of a fight. It seemed that someone had tried to steal something, and got caught. We finished the day at a Mexican restaurant, where I had a quesadilla, fried ice cream, and some people's leftover chocolate cake.