Gena Gena is one of the major religious festivals in the country that commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Unlike other Christian countries in the world, Ethiopia recalls it on the 6th or 7th January during the leap year. The town of Lalibela is the place where this festivity is highly observed. Christmas falls on December 29 Ethiopian calendar (January 7 Gregorian calendar). Christmas, called Lidet, is not the primary religious and secular festival that it has become in Western countries. Falling on 7 January, it is celebrated seriously by a church service that goes on throughout the night, with people moving from one church to another. Traditionally, young men played a game similar to hockey, called genna, on this day, and now Christmas has also come to be known by that name. Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in countries around the world, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. In some non-Christian areas, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday. Countries such as Japan, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations, and Christmas trees. Countries in which Christmas is not a formal public holiday include Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (excepting Hong Kong and Macao), Comoros, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen. Christmas celebrations around the world can vary markedly in form, reflecting differing cultural and national traditions.
Gena Gena is one of the major religious festivals in the country that commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Unlike other Christian countries in the world, Ethiopia recalls it on the 6th or 7th January during the leap year. The town of Lalibela is the place where this festivity is highly observed. Christmas falls