Meskel — Cross Day
Traditional and popular festivals · Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The festival
In Addis Ababa, Meskel Square bears the name of the feast: Meskel, a "cross" in guèze, commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by Empress Helen in the fourth century. The day before, the Demera, a huge conical logger decorated with yellow Ethiopian New Year's daisies, was erected; at nightfall, the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church made a fire to the crowd, with the sound of the hymns and rhythmic dances of the priests in colourful clothes.
In 2013, the festival was part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage, bringing together the whole country in a moment of reconciliation and family reunion. A sea of light, incense and singing in the heart of the capital.
Good to know
Meskel is a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage (2013); the Demera is held the day before, on 26 September.