Women of St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Church sing a traditional song while collecting money from the community at the celebration of the Ethiopian new year at Del Mar Park in Aurora on Sunday. All money raised benefits the church. (Anya Semenoff, The Denver Post)
The Ethiopian community in metro Denver gathered Sunday to celebrate its new year — 2005.
That is 2005 by the Ethiopian calendar, which is part of a rich cultural tradition that also includes its own alphabet and, of course, language.
And so, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church invited the community to Del Mar Park in Aurora to see firsthand what its culture has to offer.
"This is the first time we have held this event outside of the church, which was important because we wanted to include as many people as possible," said Neb Asfaw, an organizer.
Coffee beans were cooked for a traditional ceremony, homemade bread was passed around, and Ethiopian music wafted through the park.
"This is the biggest holiday in Ethiopia," said Yoseph Daniel. "This is so important because it is a time to gather with friends and family while inviting others to join in."
There are more than 25,000 Ethiopians living in the metro area, so this celebration was highly anticipated, Asfaw said.
"People are very excited. We have had a huge response," he said.
The other important aspect of the public gathering was to show the community that Ethiopian culture has many positive, deep-rooted traditions, Asfaw said.
"People hear too much bad news. There is a lot of good news about Ethiopia and the people," he said.
Feleke Mekonnen, a deacon of the church, said it was important to bring members of the Ethiopian culture together because of its diversity.
"Sometimes people who are so different need to come together in one place to celebrate what they do have in common," Mekonnen said.
 
Incense burns as a traditional coffee ceremony is prepared at Del Mar Park in Aurora. (Anya Semenoff, The Denver Post)
 
There are 80 tribes in Ethiopia, Asfaw said.
The event was free and family-friendly, which Asfaw said was important because the children needed to learn about their culture.
"While many of them were born here, they need to learn about where their family comes from," Asfaw said. "We want to set a good example because them being successful is so important to all of us."

source: denver post