Ethiopia is most well known for its success in athletics, especially in running. Football is also a popular sport in the country. The national football team of Ethiopia won the 1962 African Cup of Nations. Basketball is played by a large number of Ethiopians. Stick fighting is one of the most popular traditional Ethiopian games.
. Life In An Ethiopian Society
Traditionally, Ethiopian men have enjoyed greater authority and status in society than women. Men are involved in carrying out the labor-intensive tasks like plowing, harvesting, herding, construction of homes, trading of goods, etc. Women are responsible for managing the household work and for children. The traditional gender roles have got somewhat blurred in modern-day Ethiopia, especially in the urban areas. Many women now work outside the home. However, even working women are expected to participate in domestic activities while men usually spend their free time socializing outside the home.
Marriages are mostly arranged, especially in rural areas. The groom’s family often provides a dowry to the bride’s family in the form of money, livestock, etc. Large feasts are held to celebrate the marriage and the ceremonies are held according to the customs of the ethnic group to which the couple belongs.
Traditional families in Ethiopia are usually extended in nature with the eldest male heading the household. Generally, men are the main decision-makers in Ethiopian families. They control the economy of the household and distribute the money needed to run the family. The father is seen as an authority figure in the family. Often, three to four generations reside in one household where the elderly generations are taken care of by their children. In urban areas, nuclear families are on the rise.
Inheritance is usually patrilineal in nature and sons inherit more valuable properties and other items than daughters. Children are raised by the mother and other female members of the extended family including elder female siblings.
