[The author of the following article once has visited Ethiopia through peace corps. Not only that has she got passion to the cultural and the way of life of ethiopians in general, but also had such a unique way of explaining it. check it out what she had to say about the tipical & ritual coffee ( bunna) ceremony].
by LaDena “Serkalem” Schnapper (Dessie, Awassa 63–66)
Here I am making buna at home. Home? I have wandered the world the past 40 years and feel more at home in an Ethiopian gojo in Wollo than in the States. But my mother’s health was failing; she was alone. Ravaged by osteoporosis and a soon to be diagnosis of cancer, I felt obligated to care for her. How could I, the eldest daughter, not heed the flashing words of the Fourth Commandment blazing like a neon sign in my mind? So it came to be. I returned to my American birthplace, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the U.P. as it is called. Full circle.
It is through the coffee ceremony that I find solace, strength, and joy. No, it’s not the caffeine. (Did you know the Ethiopian arabica bean has less caffeine than the robusto bean used in American coffee?). I work as a mental health therapist. Daily I listen to people’s anguish, pain, fear, anger, loneliness and struggles of their suffering souls. After a week of work and caring for a sick mother, I deeply need to regenerate.
It’s the carrying out of the ritual, the enacting of the coffee ceremony, that allows renewal to occur. When performed with reverence and purposefulness, ritual creates a connection to a deeper energy field, be it earthly or spiritual. With intent and focus, I am able to move into this ancient custom practiced by hundreds of generations of Ethiopian women, draw the power I so desire and rejuvenate myself. Surely the Queen of Sheba herself made buna!
full article @ ethiopiaeritrearpcvs.org
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