Tuesday, March 17, 2026
HomeDiversity, Equity and InclusionScene in Lynnwood: Coffee ceremony provides taste of Ethiopian culture

Scene in Lynnwood: Coffee ceremony provides taste of Ethiopian culture

By
Julia Wiese

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During a presentation at the Lynnwood Library Saturday, Martha Lucas explains the background of the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. (Photos by Julia Wiese)
Wodenesh pouring coffee for guests.
Faven preparing to take coffee to the guests as Wodenesh hands her a cup.
An array of traditional treats is displayed in colorful dishes and baskets.
Nigisti serves a bread that contains raisins, a feature of northern Ethiopian tribes.
Burning incense is part of the ceremony.
Nigisti returns to pick up more coffee.

Attendees got a taste of Ethiopian culture during a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony at the Lynnwood Library Saturday. It was the first installation of a “Community-Centered Conversations” series hosted by the City of Lynnwood’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission.

The ceremony was introduced by Martha Lucas of the Washington State Coalition of African Community Leaders. She was born in Ethiopia but has been in the U.S. since age 2.
A country of 129 million people, Ethiopia has 90 tribes with over 100 languages spoken, Lucas said. Coffees are tribal specific, and this particular ceremony shared Saturday was from Tigra, a northern Ethiopian tribe. The snacks that accompany the coffee are also representative of the tribe.
The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony generally lasts about three hours and is central to Ethiopian community life, often performed for guests, during gatherings or to mark significant life events. During the ceremony, green coffee beans are roasted, ground, brewed and served — typically in three rounds.

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