26/09/2021
Meskel, the Ethiopian ‘True Cross’ Celebration the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Meskel usually falls on September 27.
The Meskel festival is an annual Christian national holiday celebrated by the orthodox churches in Ethiopia. This festival marks the discovery of the True Cross that Jesus was crucified on.
The word “meskel” is from the Ge’ez language that translates to “cross.” So, the festival is basically a celebration of the cross. The festival is held at the iconic Meskel square in Addis Ababa and draws out a large number of religious and civil leaders as well as public figures and Christian faithfuls. The discovery of this revered relic within Christianity can be traced back to the fourth (4th) century when the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, Queen Helena received divine guidance to its location.
According to legend, Queen Helena, now canonized, had a dream. In the dream, she was told to make a bonfire from which the smoke would show her the location where the True Cross of Jesus was buried.
After doing as she was instructed and the bonfire lit, the smoke rose high up to the sky and returned to the ground, exactly where the Cross had been buried. Thus began the yearly celebration of the discovery.
The Meskel festival celebration begins with the burning of a large bonfire called Demera, by a large procession of Christians at the Meskel square – named in honor of the festival. This Demera-procession often begins at the eve of the event or sometimes the morning of the celebration.
In the capital city of Addis Ababa, a large firewood is decorated with the Meskel flower and then set on fire in line with the history surrounding the festival.
The Meskel flowers are yellow daisies which coincidentally blooms at the time of the celebration. These daisies are usually tied to the top of branches and bundled together into the demera, which is then set ablaze by the procession of people on the eve of the festival.
The crowd encircles the bonfire singing special Meskel songs while allowing it to burn completely into ash.
The Meskel Festival usually starts in the afternoon and ends after sunset amidst much merriment and prayers. The Meskel festival is a must see as it does not only display the rich Christian heritage of Ethiopia but also displays the beauty of the Ethiopian orthodox churches with its colorful way of worship. There is a display of church leaders adorned with attractive robes and giant crosses to symbolize the event.
The Meskel festival is a heritage of pride. It is an avenue to display the rich Christian culture of Ethiopia to the world.
in addition to celebrating and reaffirming their faith in Christianity, are also provided an opportunity to explore the cities of Ethiopia, which not surprisingly also has biblical references in the Old Testament.
Tourists are sure to have a wonderful time at the Meskel festival which reveals a true Christian culture in the continent of Africa. Forever event organizer and travel plc is your get way to visit ethiopia and always ready to arrange and provide you unique and innovative customized programs, exclusively tailored to your particular interests , budget , teste and schedule email : [email protected]
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