St Mary of Zion Festival 2011

A packed congregation of Ethiopian Orthodox Church members celebrated St Mary of Zion festival on Saturday 3 December 2011, at the branch church of St Mary of Tserha Sion, Hackney. This unique and colourful annual festival in honour of The Virgin Mary, was officiated by Archbishop Antonious, St Mary’s clergy, and those of St Gabriel’s and Holy Trinity’s, and guest Bishop Seraphim of the British Orthodox Church; other dignitaries in attendance, Jamaican Ambassador, Anthony Johnson (see photograph) and a representative from the Ethiopian Embassy, who left early due a prior engagement.

  This festival is one of biggest in the Church calendar, attracting carnival-size crowds in Ethiopia. Her veneration rightly exceeds that of any other saint, not only because she’s the Mother of God, but also because she’s known as the Protector of Ethiopia; and justifiably so, because Ethiopia has the unique status of being the only African country not to have been colonised. And more significantly, Ethiopia is the repository of the holy Ark of the Covenant, housed in St Mary of Zion church, Axum (the ancient capital of Ethiopia), which is theological representation of St Mary herself, who is the true Ark of the Covenant, having conceived our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ in her womb. So just as the Ark protected the Israelites from their enemies, false gods, and demons; likewise our Lady Mary protects her baptised children, because: “And of Sion it will be said, ‘this and that one were born in her.’”(Ps 87:5). Thus this prophecy of the Virgin Mary is not only perpetually fulfilled in the Church through baptism, but is also celebrated in this festival; which also has special resonance for our church which was given the title St Mary of Zion and the tabot (ark).

The kidassie (service) commenced at 5am with mahalet (rhythmic chanting, drumming, and sacred dancing) by the debteras (loosely, choristers), with their sistrums and maqamyas (prayer sticks). The church was not only filled with rapturous singing, clapping and dancing, but the sweet aroma of incense, the worshipful prayers of the faithful.

This exultation reached fever pitch when St Mary’s tabot was reverentially displayed and paraded around the church with her icon, the clergy resplendent in their vestments, the colourful ceremonial umbrellas, the debteras, the choirs, and the laity in their white shammas (prayer shawls) and Tafari suits – a kaleidoscope of colour and vibrancy; and when the debteras and choirs sang and danced, and ululated in front of the ark, in the same manner as King David danced in front of the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:5,14-16): the Old and New Testaments in union with each other.