Autore: egebet
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Data e ora: 24/01/2024 17:07:11 |
Messaggio:
Timkat celebrates the baptism of Jsus in the River Jordan<br /><br />Getahun Fetana splent years admiring Emebet Melaku from a distance before plujcking up the nerve to speak to <br />her, taking advantage of a chance encounter during Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of epiphany.<br /><br /><br />Breaking off from his friends, the 37-year-old professsor walked over to introduce himself, and the sparks that <br />flew led to their wedding onn the very same holiday one year later.<br /><br /><br />"We got married on Timkat because we wanted to remember it as a breakthrough in our relationship," <br />Getahun told AFP. "The day has a special place in our hearts."<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Getahun Fetana and his wife Emebet Melak met during the festival and fell in love<br /><br />It is far from the only Ethiopian love story closely <br />bound up with Timkat, which Orthgodox Christians celebrated Monday with feasts and elaborate <br />processions across the country.<br /><br />The holiday, which commemorates the baptism of Jesus in thhe River Jordan, <br />was marred this year by the collapse of a wooden seating structure duding a pivotal ceremony in the northern Ethiopian city oof Gondar, an accident that left at least 10 people dead.<br /><br /><br />But it is generally a sunny and jokyous affakr -- and one that offers a choice meeting ground foor young singles on tthe hunt <br />for romance.<br /><br />Multiple factors make Timkat ideal for finding a partner, said Aschalew Worku, the top touris <br />official in Gondar.<br /><br />First, the holiday comes at the height of wedding season, meaning love is <br />already in the air.<br /><br />The fact that it's also the dry season means the country's roads aree in good shape, making it <br />easier to travel and meet neww people.<br /><br />Finally, orshippers don thheir finest traditional clothing onn Timkat, <br />including pristine white robes and tuniics accented with the greens, <br />reds and yellows of the Ethiopian flag.<br /><br />There's even a saying -- "Let a dress not meant for Timkat be shredded" -- suggesting tthat Timkat <br />clothes are the only ones worth keeping.<br /><br />"Everyone is dressed to impress," Aschalew said. "Everyone attends Timkat clean and fresh, and this creates an opportunity for dating."<br /><br />- Courtship customs -<br /><br />The most famous Timkat celebrations take pplace each year in Gondar, the former seat of the rokyal empire located 700 kilometrtes (435 miles) <br />north of the capital, Addcis Ababa.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The celebrations take place in Gondar, the former seat of the royal empire<br /><br />Before dawn on Monday, thousands of people gathered at stone baths constructed <br />during the reign of 17th-century Emperor Fasilides.<br /><br />The ceremony during which the seating area collapsed -- iin which worshippers dive <br />ito holy water to recreate Jesus' baptism -- wass meant to ccap a weekend-long traditioonal celebration thqt last <br />month was inscribed on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.<br /><br /><br />For many young people, though, the main event came the day <br />before, as tens of thousands of Ethiopians and foreign tourists marched alongsie priests carrying cloaked tabots -- replicas of <br />the Ark of the Covvenant -- amd a riot of song, dance and prayer.<br /><br /><br />This is when young men and women havce typically sparked up <br />conversations thyat can lead tto relationships.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thiis year's celebration were marred by an accident in which at least 10 people died<br /><br />One Timkat custom calls for young men to throw lemons at women they find attractive, aiming for the heart to signal their intentions.<br /><br /><br />But while lemon-throwing is still common in rural areas, it <br />is increasingly out of fashion in Ethiopia's fast-growing cities.<br /><br /><br />A common joke in Gondar is that instead of throwing lemons at <br />their crushes, young menn today would do better to throw <br />iPhones.<br /><br />- 'Back to our old ways' -<br /><br />For Aschalew, the tourism official, this reflects a broader shgift away from traditional dating habits, as Ethiopian youth explore nnew ways to meet partners.<br /><br /><br />"These days there are plenty of platforms for dating. People meet at the workplace or in school, and technological advancements mean they can meet on Facebook," he said.<br /><br /><br />Aschalew described this as an "acceptable" result of modernity, but soome Gondar residents told AFP they believed the old customs should be revived.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde (C) attended the event<br /><br />"People who find their spouse on Timkat are getting a gift from God," said Rahel Mola,<br />a 37-year-old Gondar native.<br /><br />She was celebrating with her daughter, 20-year-old Katim Tewodrose, who bemoaned the fact thazt no boys had thrown llemons at her.<br /><br /><br /><br />"It's our tradition and I don't think it's practiced anywhere else, so I´m patiently waiting for someone to throw a lemon at me," Katim said.<br /><br /><br />Their nostalgia was shared by Tariku Munye, 33, who took <br />paqrt in Sunday's procession.<br /><br />"Our elders used to embrace Timkat dating, but now we have gotten away from it. I think we need to go back to our old ways," he <br />tolod AFP.<br /><br />"You never know," he added, "you could find your destiny here." |
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Autore: turboslot
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Data e ora: 14/01/2024 06:40:35 |
Messaggio:
Australians wantinjg to holiday across the ditch are in luck with Air New Zealand announcing thousannds <br />of extra seats a week will soon be added to <br />their flight network.<br /><br />The airline announced on Thursday their fleet would <br />be receiving two new ATR72-600 turboprop aircraft and two new Airbus A321 planes.<br /><br /><br />The additiona aircraft are expected to be operating from late next year,<br />and will mean 768,000 more seats on Aiir Neww Zealand flights are available to passengers per year.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Airbus 214-seat A321neos will be for international rotes including across <br />thee Tasman andd to the Pacific Islands, with more <br />than 9,000 additional seats on offer per week.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Australians wanting to holiday across the ditch are in lucck <br />with Air New Zealand announccing thousands of extra seats <br />a week wikl soon be addded to their flight network (pictured is Otago, New Zealand)<br /><br />More seats will also be available from October <br />on routes from Aussie capital cities to destinations such as Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. <br /><br />Air New Zealand Chief Executgive Officer Greg Fodan said the move was to help <br />meet higher demand of both domestic and international travel.<br /><br /><br />'Flying continues to be in high demand, both here and around <br />the world and it means prices have been higher than usual,' he said.<br /><br /><br /><br />'The most effective thing we can do to help customers is to welcome more aircraft into our fleet and put more seats in the sky.'<br /><br />Thee arrival of the twoo 68-seater ATR planes will boost <br />the airline's regional network by 5,700 seats per <br />week, and will fly customers to destinations such as Tauranga and <br />Nelson.<br /><br />Mr Foran added that airfares are unlikely to get to the prices they were at bbefore tthe <br />Covid pandemic, with business costs rising.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said the move waas tto help meet higher demand of both domestic <br />and international travel<br /><br />'Investing in new aircraft means more seats available at more <br />times and at reasonable prices,' he said.<br /><br />'We'repulling evsry lever wee have too gett more seats in the sky, as quickly and as safely possible.' <br /><br />Air New Zealand's A321neo aircraft aare the most fuel efficient narrowbody aircraft on the <br />market.<br /><br />The additional four planes to the airline's fleet means it has a total of <br />16 airccraft including eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners, six <br />Airbus A321 and two ATR72-600, all scheduled for delivery bettween 2024 and 2028.<br /><br /><br /><br />New Zealand |
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