One thing that surprises a lot of people about Ethiopia is the fact that the country is predominantly Christian, and has been for over a thousand years (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia#Religion). It is surrounded on three sides by Muslim majority countries (Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti), but Ethiopia has a long and rich tradition of Christianity. The Ethiopian Orthodox church forms a large part of many people's lives, so much so that Wednesday and Friday are observed as fasting days every week. As you drive around the city, whenever you pass a church you're guaranteed to see a crowd of people by the gate, and more inside, praying to the patron saint of the church.

"Fasting" in Ethiopia is a little different than in other places. It doesn't mean necessarily eating less (although some do), but instead eschewing all meat and dairy products for the day. I benefit from this purely from a dietary standpoint, as I have had the hardest time explaining that I don't eat much meat to people I meet here. As with most cultures, Ethiopians eat as much meat as they can afford. The best way that I've found to ensure that I don't get any unexpected meat sneaking into my meals is to tell my host/waiter that I'm fasting. That will ensure a totally vegan meal (and delicious too!). I think when I was younger my family thought I was a really devout child, but now they've realized that I just prefer "fasting food" :).