Etiquette and Customs of Ethiopia

When I travelled to Ethiopia, I found that the country had returned to normality after the images televised back in 1983. My friend and I were warmly welcomed  and well-treated by the Ethiopian people. I found Ethiopians to be a very elegant people. I also found them to be quite tall! Both Western clothing and traditional Ethiopian clothing are worn by Ethiopians. They take pride in their appearance.

Growing up, my introduction to Ethiopia was of war and famine. Pictures of starving Ethiopians sitting under branchless trees flashed on the TV screens in 1983. Two years later on 13th July 1985, the mega star-studded, music-based fundraising event, Live Aid, blasted over the media. Ethiopia wouldn’t make the travel magazines’ top 10 dream destinations for quite a while.

Fast-forward 30 years and a trip to East Africa which I was invited to join. I couldn't say no. Africa fascinates me to this day. The carrier I flew was Ethiopian Airlines, which was an experience to remember! I've never had to catch my food tray before, and there was absolutely no turbulence. I'm not sure why the attendants were in such a hurry.

How to Greet Ethiopians
Never rush or hurry your greeting. Ethiopians are a hospitable people, with a warm and caring culture, so they are curious about those visiting their country for the first time. You are expected to stand, perform your greeting, acknowledge the other person, and talk for a short while. It is polite to take an interest in those you meet. Inquire about a person’s health, their children, their family or their work.

Age and Status in Greetings

A long-standing ancient culture, Ethiopians expect that age and status matter. The elderly, or someone of higher status, is greeted first, and with great respect, such as taking their hands to kiss them, or the greeter could bow and lower their head and say ‘Indemin not’. The eldest in a group is also the first to take food from a communal dish, while the youngest are the last to help themselves. 

The younger generation may use light handshaking and eye contact upon meeting and greeting someone new. Close friends may kiss and hug upon seeing each other up to four or more times and have a very extended embrace. 

Physical touch may differ between religious associations and ethnic groups. While some Muslims may physically touch during greetings, others may greet verbally only.

How to Start a Conversation with an Ethiopian
Ethiopia has approximately 90 or more different languages, Amharic being the official language. Therefore, greetings are expected to be courteous, even if speakers do not share the same language. ‘Salam’ is the most widely used informal greeting, similar to saying hello. ‘Tena yistilin’ is a respectful, formal greeting, translating to “May God give you health”. When asking “How are you?”, the phrase changes depending on the gender of the person you're addressing, with ‘Indemin nih?’ for men and ‘Indemin nish?’ for women.

Ethiopian Pride
Ethiopians love talking about their nation’s role in human history. Topics include the Queen of Sheba, who features in the Bible, ‘Lucy,’ a non-hominin ape, their most famous beverage—coffee—and the ancient churches which are carved in mountains. These topics and more will lead to spirited conversations with locals.

We walked the streets and toured around Addis Ababa, a well-planned city with wide, dusty roads.

Ethiopia Today
When I travelled to Ethiopia, I found that the country had returned to normality after the shocking images of 1983. My friend and I were warmly welcomed  and well-treated by the Ethiopian people. We walked the streets and toured around Addis Ababa, a well-planned city with wide, dusty roads. 

Unfortunately, on my trip I merely was able to touch the surface of the Ethiopian culture. There was so much more that I wanted to know and understand. I hope to return some day in the future.

For many years, Etiquipedia contributor, Elizabeth Soos, has had a keen interest in cultural customs. With her European background and extensive travel, Soos developed an interest in the many forms of respect and cultural expectations in the countries she has visited. With her 20 years’ experience in customer service within private international companies based in Australia, and her lifetime interest in manners and research, she decided to branch out into the field of etiquette and deportment. Through her self-directed studies and by completing the Train-The-Trainer’s course offered by Emma Dupont’s School of Etiquette in London and by Guillaume Rue de Bernadac at Academie de Bernadac based in Paris and Shanghai, she founded Auersmont School of Etiquette. Elizabeth is currently traveling throughout India and brushing up on her Hindi.

 🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Ethiopian Dining Etiquette

“Lucy is well-acquainted with Ethiopian foods. She knows how to eat with her fingers and use the bread, injeri, to pick up the food. However, she is unprepared when Isaac, the host she has just met, tears off a piece of bread, scoops up some stew, tastes it, then comes over and thrusts some into her mouth. She is offended to have a stranger put his fingers in her mouth.”
— photo source, Pinterest

Multicultural Manners : Food Etiquette Demands Delicacy

American-born Lucy and her new Ethiopian husband, Eskinder, have been invited to a celebration dinner given by Ethiopian friends of the groom living in the States.

Lucy is well-acquainted with Ethiopian foods. She knows how to eat with her fingers and use the bread, injeri, to pick up the food. However, she is unprepared when Isaac, the host she has just met, tears off a piece of bread, scoops up some stew, tastes it, then comes over and thrusts some into her mouth.

She is offended to have a stranger put his fingers in her mouth.

What went wrong?

The host sampled the fare before offering it to his guests for the same reason royalty employs official tasters: to confirm that the food was safe and delicious.

When Isaac fed Lucy and the others their first bite, he was also acting out a proverb shared by both cultures. “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” meaning if you supply your guests with nourishment, they are less likely to become enemies.

Rule: There is more to food than just do’s and don’ts about diet. Certain forms of etiquette make a statement about cultural values such as generosity, safety and comfort.

Mealtime Etiquette

1. Most traditional Ethiopian food is eaten with the hands; this is done by tearing off a piece of injera, using it to grab some food, and putting it directly in your mouth.
2. Traditional meals are eaten from a communal plate, but you should not reach all the way across to the other side to grab food; eat what is close to you.
3. It is polite to eat with your right hand - the left is considered unclean and therefore you should avoid using it if you can.
4. There will always be a way to wash your hands before and after the meal. Sometimes a waiter will bring a basin and pitcher to the table.
5. When greeting others at a restaurant, often they will have already washed their hands or already be eating. In place of a handshake, they will offer you their wrist; lightly grasp their wrist but do not shake it. If your hands aren’t suitable for a handshake either, you can touch your wrist to theirs. 
6. The gursha is a gesture when a person will carefully place a morsel of food directly into your mouth. It is a gesture of respect and it is courteous to accept it.
7. If you are invited into someone’s home, take your shoes off if they remove theirs.  Greet each person present (starting with oldest first.) Always allow any elders to begin eating before you do.  If you are the oldest present, Ethiopians will patiently wait until you begin to eat.
8. Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast two days a week (Wednesday and Friday) and for the two months before Easter.  On these days, observant Christians do not eat or drink until 3pm and also completely refrain from eating animal products (except for fish.) 

— By Norine Dresser, 1994 and Awazetours.com, 2019

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia