An Amharic Good Time and More to Come

This past week Silver Spring hosted a bilingual storytime along with the Ethiopian Literary and Cultural Awareness Association. We are so fortunate that our community has people from all over the world. In Montgomery County, there are more than 58,000 residents who were born in Africa, and Ethiopians make up the largest segment of African immigrants in the county.  Many live in the Silver Spring area.  

The storytime was quite a hit. Over 175 people attended and it was gratifying to see so many children engaged with the stories, games, and crafts. An Ethiopian fairy tale, Silly Mamo (Mamo Killo) retold by Gebregeorgis Yohannes was read by Mama Kebebush and Lauren, our children's librarian. There was also  great excitement—shouts and hands in the air—during a Jeopardy-like answer-and-question game about Ethiopia.  

If you missed the storytimes, not to worry—more great events are coming! We invite everyone to join us on Saturday, September 12 at 1 PM, when we'll host a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony.  

I discovered an interesting summary of the ceremony and information about the importance of coffee in the Ethiopian culture on Epicurean's web site.   We'll also have national clothes, arts, and musical instruments on display from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM. The event celebrates the Ethiopian New Year. Come on over to the library; everyone is welcome.  

Christine