Meskel
Meskel | |
---|---|
Observed by | |
Significance | Discovery of the Helena in the fourth century |
Celebrations | |
Date |
|
2024 date | 27 September |
Frequency | Annual |
Meskel (
The festival is known as
The feast is held in Meskel Square, named after the festival, in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Religious and civil leaders preside over the celebration, and public figures give speeches and reference biblical themes and stories. Many Ethiopians who live in cities return to their home villages to celebrate the national event. When darkness falls, the Demera is burned.[2] UNESCO inscribed Meskel in 2013 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[3]
Overview
The Meskel celebration includes the burning of a large bonfire, or Demera, based on the belief that
According to local traditions, this Demera-procession takes place in the early evening the day before Meskel or on the day itself. The firewood is decorated with daisies prior to the celebration. Charcoal from the remains of the fire is afterwards collected and used by the faithful to mark their foreheads with the shape of a cross (compare Ash Wednesday). Edward Ullendorff records a number of beliefs of the meaning of Demera, with some believing that it "marks the ultimate act in the cancellation of sins, while others hold that the direction of the smoke and the final collapse of the heap indicate the course of future events – just as the cloud of smoke the Lord raised over the Tabernacle offered guidance to the children of Israel (Exod. 40:34–38)."[5]
One explanation for the high rank this festival has in the church calendar is that it is believed that a part of the true Cross has been brought to Ethiopia from Egypt. It is said to be kept at Amba Geshen, which itself has a cross-shaped plan.[citation needed]
According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the discovery of the True Cross is traditionally believed to have been in March, but Meskel was moved to September to avoid holding a festival during
See also
Notes
- ISBN 9780241181850.
- ^ Thomas M Landy, "Meskel", Catholics & Cultures updated June 19, 2015
- ^ "Commemoration feast of the finding of the True Holy Cross of Christ". unesco.org. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
- ^ "Walta Information Center". Meskel Being Celebrated Across The Nation. Archived from the original on March 19, 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2005.
- ^ a b Ullendorff, p. 114
- ^ Amanuel Sahle. "The Byzantine Origin of Meskel". Shaebia.org. Retrieved September 14, 2005.
References
- Ullendorff Edward (1968) Ethiopia and the Bible, ISBN 0-19-726076-4
External links
- Festival and Holidays on the website of the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in the United Kingdom, with a section on "Meskel – The Finding of the True Cross"