A Day for Feasting and Fun: Embassy Volunteers Share Easter Cheer, Traditions

In both the United States and Ethiopia, Easter is an important holiday when Christian families spend time together and feast.   While the spirit of the holiday is the same in both countries, the celebrations are quite different, especially for children.  Many American children, in addition to going to Church, visiting relatives and eating a special meal like Ethiopian children, spend Easter day playing games like “hunting” for hidden “Easter eggs” in the garden.  And while many Ethiopian children wake up to new clothes for the holiday, American children crawl out of bed to find baskets of treats that have been delivered during the night by a mysterious creature, “the Easter Bunny.” 

This year, thanks to a group of volunteers from the U.S. Embassy, the Easter Bunny made an appearance in Addis Ababa!  The Bunny and the volunteers spread holiday cheer by organizing an Easter party for the children at the Layla House orphanage.  On April 16, 150 Ethiopian children at Layla House, ages infant to 13 years, spent the day eating, playing games, hunting for Easter eggs, and doing art projects.   The American volunteers provided a basket of age-appropriate treats and toys for each child food, hid 1,800 candy-filled eggs for the children to find, and organized face painting and art activities.  Jennifer Sanford, one of the lead volunteers, said, “It was great.  The kids had a blast!”  Ivy Dash, the Layla House Volunteer Coordinator, thanked the group for their efforts: “I was absolutely amazed.  I couldn’t have asked for – or even imagined -- more!”

Jennifer and the other volunteers started planning for the Easter event more than two months in advance.  They asked family, friends and colleagues from home to send funds or donations for the Layla house kids.  By April, they had collected more than U.S.$2000 in materials.  Asked why he decided to help with the project, embassy employee Julio Rios said, “This was something I hadn’t done before. I’d never done volunteer work.  It was really fun.  The kids loved it, and having a whole group of people paying attention to them really raised their morale.” 

Sharing the holiday also raised the spirits of the American volunteers, many of whom are living far away from their families while they work in Ethiopia.  Kelly Folliard, of the Embassy’s Political Section, noted, “At home on Easter, we would go to my grandma’s house.  Since I’m far away this year, it was nice to share my holiday traditions with the kids and to learn how Ethiopians celebrate.”   Jennifer Sanford agreed: “This was a good way to share some of our culture, and also to give the kids a good time.”