St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea - November 22 2007

 

Around 7:30 I walk from my apartment to the St. Michael Orthodox Church, that will celebrate its annual anniversary. The feast attracts many men and women from all over Asmara. On the sidewalks people sell religious artifacts. Priests are blessing people on request with their wooded carved crosses.

The day starts with a mass in and around the church. It is a small church and it is very crowded, both in and outside. To go in, I have to leave my shoes on the steps in front of the entrance. Since I visited the church last year, and it's to crowded, I will not enter the church. Instead I walk through the crowd that is praying on the premises outside, while big megaphones extent the priests prayers and songs to the garden of the church .

At 10:00 the outside ceremony starts on the enormous square between the Italian cemetery and the St. Michael church. Priests in beautiful garments, with gold plated crosses under colored umbrella's preach in front of the gathered audience holding the holy book high. Girls and boys dance, handclap and sing religious songs, while monks beat their enormous goatskin drums.

Six lines of people is witnessing the celebrations, making it difficult to see anything. I slip through the crowd to have a better view on the ceremony, standing next or just behind the camera men. Guards observe my behavior, but nobody minds, as long as I do not disturb the ceremony.

At 11:00 the Nigdet feast is finished. The people spread over the square to find and greet friends, and invite them to their homes for a meal and to drink suwa.

I spend the rest of the day walking through Asmara, handing the gifts to friends and family, enjoying the sun and the pavements, drinking mineral water or fruit juices.

 

Priest giving his blessings to the visitors of the feast
St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.

St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.

St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.

St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.

St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.

St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.

St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.

St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.

St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.

St. Michaels anniversary (Nigdet) - Asmara Eritrea.