Mälkam Gänna

We had a quiet but fun first Ethiopian Christmas together. Eyob wore his Ethiopian outfit to preschool. After school we went to TANA to have Ethiopian food. Seifu, the owner sat and talked to us about how he celebrated Ganna in Ethiopia. Eyob is always excited to have injera but he becomes very anxious when we are at the Ethiopian resturant. Seifu loves to hug him and talk Amharic to him. Eyob wants nothing to do with him. He acts like he has never spoken Amharic in his life and clings to me. The last time we were there he threw up when we got home. Today when Seifu asked him his name he said "Peter" (his American name). I about fell off my chair because we never call him Peter. It's sad to think that memories of Ethiopia make him so upset. In the evening we read the Visit of the Magi and talked about the king that might have been from Ethiopia (that king is actually African in our nativity set). We then gave each child a small present. At bedtime I read Eyob a little about Ganna from an Ethiopian Celebrations book because Eyob says he never celebrated Ganna in Ethiopia. Eyob seamed to really enjoy a day just about him and hopefully it will give him more pride in his heritage.