Happy New Year Rastafaris

ON SEPTEMBER 11, the RasTafari Empire which consists of Egyptians and conscious minded Afrocentric citizens of the world celebrated the Ethiopian New Year.

The Ethiopian New Year, like its identical brother the Egyptian Coptic Calendar, is an African product.

Trees and vegetation confess, a new season has just begun.

Africans pioneered time-keeping and evidence of this is attached to this calendar. In celebrating this treasure, on September 10, Rastafarians from all over Zimbabwe gathered in the capital for the celebrations.

During the celebrations Elder Trevor Hall popularly known as Ras Jabu released His latest album “Afrika Where Is The Paradise.”

The album is a masterpiece and the celebrations were nothing but electric.

Elder RasJabu award!

RasJabu plays conscious reggae music designed and suited for a mature audience.

His lyrics address universal issues such as those that affect the whole community and society.

For instance the deserves an title track “Afrika where is the paradise” is alone a thought provoking million dollar question African loyal citizens should ask themselves.

As the motherland, Africa must be at the fore front of development and advancement.

However, this is not yet the case and the song confronts the collective African conscience to awaken from the slumber as Asia has done.

In this New Year and in this new age, Asians and Africans had been suppressed from developing by European slavery and colonisation.

While Asians are fast rising from the ashes, Africans are lagging behind.

The first day on the Ethiopian calendar is known as Enkutatash and is the first day of the first month known as Maskerem/Meskerem 1.

During ordinary years Maskerem 1 falls on September 11 and during leap years Meskerem 1 falls September 12 on the Gregorian calendar.

The Gregorian calendar was forced onto the lives of Africans through slavery and colonisation. However, Ethiopia was never colonised and instead worked tremendously hard in liberating Africa from the yoke of colonisation and apartheid.

For the reason to indigenise, Rastafarians adopted the Ethiopian calendar and prefer it to the European alternative.

Historically, Enkutatash is the period when the Queen of Sheba, Kandake/Candice Makeda returned to Ethiopia from visiting Solomon King of Israel.

Enkutatash refers to the exchanging of gifts that predominates the period.

During her visit to Israel, Kandake Makeda the Queen of Sheba gave a lot of presents to Solomon the King of Israel also famed for being the wisest person during his time.

This glorious event is recorded in the Holy Bible in 1Kings 10:1-13 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 and there was a bounty exchange of gifts.

“And King Solomon gave unto the Queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty.”

Online sources records Queen Sheba’s gift of 120 talents to be a modern equivalent of a whopping US$3 500 000.

Damien Gayle writes that archeological findings of the Queen of Sheba’s gold mine have since been discovered thus proving the existence and legitimacy of the legend even according to modern scientific standards.

From the same source Gayle says, “Now an ancient goldmine, together with the ruins of a temple, has been found on the high Gheralta plateau in northern Ethiopia, part of the Queen’s former territory.”

From this visit the Queen of Sheba also had a child from King Solomon namely Menelik I and from him we have Emperor Haile Selassie I as the 225th direct descendant.

This proves RasTafari Makonnen is a “root and offspring of King David.”

This coincides with Matthew 12:42 for the Queen of the South did rise and the one greater than Solomon, a great descendant, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I now sits on the throne of King of Kings and Lion of Judah as a result.

The practice of sharing and exchanging gifts and valuables has since been the norm.

Enkutatash is not restricted to religious rites and rituals but all people from diverse backgrounds exchange gifts during the Ethiopian New Year.

Amongst Rastafarians September 11 and 12 are also commemorated as days honouring the late great Winston Hubert McIntosh and Steve Bantu Biko respectively.

AdisAmet! (Happy New Year)