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The Fast of Tsige
The Tsige Fast is a holy period observed for forty days, from Meskerem 26 to Hidar 5. This sacred season is called the Month of Tsige a time filled with prayer, hymns, and praise. During these days, the Scriptures read in every church, the psalms sung, the sermons preached, and the homilies delivered all reflect the beauty of the heavens, as though the sky itself were adorned with stars in celebration of God’s glory.
The Origin of the Tsige Fast
The spiritual foundation of this fast comes from the angelic message delivered to Joseph in a dream:
“Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, for they are seeking to destroy the Child.” (Matthew 2:13)
Obedient to the command, Joseph took the Child Jesus and the Virgin Mary and fled into Egypt. After three years of exile, they returned to their homeland, Nazareth, as it is written in Revelation 12:16.
The Tsige Fast, therefore, commemorates this holy journey the suffering, exile, and eventual return of the Virgin Mary and her Son. It is a season to remember her endurance, her faith, and her unwavering obedience to God.
Words of the Holy Fathers
Abba Tsige Birhan, who lived in the 14th century, expressed deep reverence for the Virgin’s suffering, saying:
“O Mary, the fragrance of the pomegranate and the flower of the day, your face pale with fasting and sorrow how I long to share in your hardships, your tears, and your suffering, that I too may share in your endless joy.”
Likewise, Abba Arke Silus, in his Lamentations of the Virgin, wrote:
“O Holy Virgin Mary, daughter of light who wears the sun, when you fled with your Son from the evil Herod, the roads you walked burned with heat, and even the stones wept at your pain.”
These reflections reveal the deep compassion and love with which the faithful remember the Virgin’s trials during her exile.
The Celebration of the Tsige Fast and Liturgy
The Month of Tsige is observed in the Church with liturgy (Mahelet), hymns, and Zikr (commemorative praise).
Each week, from Saturday evening until Sunday morning, priests perform hymns drawn from St. Yared’s Degwa, Mahelete Tsige, and Sekokawe Dingel. These hymns are arranged from three parts praise ( kidus yared diguwa, mahlete tsige, sekokawe dingl) expressing both the sorrow and the triumph of the Virgin.
Although the Zikr of Tsige has become rare in some urban areas, many rural communities still preserve it. Every Sunday, believers gather in a central place to commemorate the Virgin. The poor, the weak, and travelers are invited to eat and drink in her name, continuing the ancient Ethiopian tradition of hospitality shown to Our Lady when she came to the land of Ethiopia.
The Story of Abba Tsige Birhan and Abba Gebre Mariam
According to Abune Zena Markos Zena Gedel, Abba Tsige Birhan was a devout father who composed one hundred and fifty hymns for the Mahelet Tsige, following the number of David’s Psalms. His companion and advisor, Abba Gebre Mariam of Wereilu and Debre Hanta, joined him in this holy labor.
Every year, from Meskerem 26 to Hidar 5, they would journey to Debre Bisrat to observe the Mahelete Tsige and keep the fast together in prayer and devotion. Afterward, they would return to their monasteries, renewed in spirit.
From their example, the practice of fasting and celebrating the Tsige Liturgy began to spread slowly among churches, monks, and devout believers. By their witness, a new season of voluntary fasting entered the life of the Ethiopian Church.
The Practice of the Tsige Fast Today
In our own time, the Tsige Liturgy continues to be observed during this holy month. The church bell is rung at three o’clock in the night , calling the faithful men, women, and children to gather in worship. The service is held with the beating of drums and cymbals, and the Mahelete Tsige is sung until twelve o'clock morning , filling the air with the sound of reverence and joy.
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