Genna – Ethiopia
Genna is a traditional game played during Christmas in rural Ethiopia. It is similar to modern-day field hockey.
Duduspree News, Texas
The origins of the game go back to the advent of Christianity in Ethiopia.
According to an Ethiopian legend, shepherds first played Genna to commemorate the birth of Jesus.
The word Genna is derived from the Greek word genos, meaning birth.The game is played in a wide-open field with two goal posts placed at opposite sides of the field.
It involves the use of curved wooden sticks and wooden balls.
How Genna is been played;
The opposing teams throw the wooden ball in the air and try to hit it with the sticks towards the goal post of the opposite team.
Certain customs and rituals have also been incorporated in the course of the game – for example, enkurkuso is a ritual practiced before the game, which entails praying for personal wellbeing.
