Addis Globe, September 26, 2020

Today Orthodox Ethiopians have celebrated Demera, the eve of the annual Meskel festival. The feast celebrates the finding of the True Cross in the early fourth century by St. Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, and corresponds to the Feast of the Holy Cross in the West.

In the capita city the feast was held in Meskel Square, a huge square in Addis Ababa named after the festival and dedicated particularly for the celebration of the feast, with a semi-circular stadium viewing area for tens of thousands of people. The feast was celebrated in the presence of Abune Mathias, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, President Sahle-Work Zewde and Adanech Abiebie, deputy mayor of Addis Ababa.

This year close to 5000 attended the celebration in Addis Ababa due to COVID-19 restriction. Normally millions of people turned up for the annual bonfire lighting ceremony.

On the occasion, Abune Mathias called on political parties to sit down together and find solution for their differences and the youth to refrain from destructive activities.

Stating that nothing is more important for the country than to strengthen unity, he urged intellectuals, political elites and the media to distance themselves from issues widening differences.

Adanech Abiebie, deputy mayor of Addis Ababa city, for her part stressed the need to stand together and strengthen unity to beat poverty. She also called on the haves to share with the have-nots during the festival.

Meskel (True Cross) holiday marks the finding of the cross that Jesus was crucified on. It is a magnificent carnival celebrated for two subsequent days.

The eve of the festival is known as Demera, a bonfire which is lit before the end of the day to symbolize the smoke that led Empress Helena to the true cross.

Meskel was inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013.

Picture Source: Social media.