Lidj Yefdi

✤ TINS(h)A’E – ትንሣኤ – “RESURRECTION” ✤

Greetings in the name of His & Her Imperial Majesties Qedamawi Haile Sellassie I & Itege Menen Asfaw,

This is another one of the many interpretations of the Scriptures from the light of Ras Tafari by, I, Lidj Yefdi (pronounced Lij, Yef-dee).

Though there has been much ground to cover, as far as, all of the occurrences, events, memorials, etc.;

Ras Tafari Renaissance writes to give perspective to the Ethiopic Tewahido-Orthodox, celebration of Fasika. In other circles of the Liturgical adherents to the Ethiopian Tewahido-Orthodox Church, the name for this observance, can also be called Be’ale Tinsa’e – በዓለ ትንሣኤ.

I refrain from using the Western Christendom adherance to the psuedo-equivalent, known as Easter; mainly because at the sheer core of the observance of Easter, stems from Greco-Roman Mythology(Eros, Easter Eggs, Easter Bunny, Greek Mythology etc.), and the origin of the celebration of Fasika, comes from the Hebraic Passover(Pesach/ PesaKH’-פֶּסַח) & Feast of Unleavened Bread(KH’ag/ Chag Ha’Motz’ot-).

Sh'mura Matz'ot - Rabbinical supervised unleavened bread

Ethiopian Injera - Unleavened Bread (Eaten Year-Round; not only on Fasika/Tinsa'e)

Fasika commemorates the Resurrection of CHRIST, though the exact day for celebration can be calculated from a perspective that is only slightly in contrast to the original calculation. Through and through, Fasika assuredly gives a better foundation in the surreal conclusion that is the life of CHRIST.

Fasika is an extremely climatic celebration, like the Roman Catholic Church fasting season (often called “Lent“), but predating it by hundreds of years, the Ethiopian Tewahido-Orthodox Church adherents go into a fasting, and prayer period consisting of about approx., 40-to-56 days. This important and soul-searching, period of time is known to the adherents as Hudade – ሑዳዴ, or Abiy’ Ts’ome – ዓቢይ ጾመ.

[The Church, in her earliest days, recognized the necessity for her children to “chastise the body and bring it under subjection”, as St. Paul advises. The body is ever striving for mastery over the spirit; besides the external sources of temptation, “the world”, we have always another source with us which is a part of our nature. This is the reason for mortification. Self denial is in lawful things enables us to turn with great earnestness to spiritual things. It is on these grounds that the Ethiopian church has strictly adhered to the injunctions of the Didascalia and enjoyed on the faithful the longest and most austere fasts in the world. Fasting implies abstention from food and drink. Special days are appointed for fasting. Every Wednesday and Friday are days of fasting because on Wednesday the Jews held a council in which they rejected and condemned our Lord and on Friday they crucified him.]

The fasting of this particular, observance in the Tewahido Church-(Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church) are ordained by the Fetha Nägäst-or plainly translated to English as the “Law of the Kings.”