How Ethiopians Celebrate Meskel — The Feast of the Finding of the True Cross
Meskel is one of Ethiopia’s most radiant traditions: a festival that mixes faith, fire, flowers, and family. Celebrated on September 27 (or September 28 in Ethiopian leap years), Meskel commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by Empress Helena — and it arrives every year with a smoky, joyful certainty.
The centerpiece is the Demera — a towering bonfire built in squares, churchyards, and neighborhood corners. People decorate the woodpile with bright yellow Meskel daisies, light it at dusk, then sing, dance and pray as the flames jump skyward. The Demera reenacts the legend that smoke from Queen Helena’s bonfire led her to the place where the Cross was buried.
The next morning is church time. Worshippers dress in white cotton robes (the soft, glowing habit called shamma), attend long liturgies, and share a special feast. After the Demera, many collect the char and make a small cross of ash on their foreheads — a quiet, soot-streaked benediction that feels both intimate and ancient.
Food flows freely. Traditional dishes like injera with stews, and regional favorites such as kitfo or doro wat, turn the holy day into a family banquet: people forgive, visit, and fill long tables with laughter and spice. The communal meal is part of what makes Meskel less a single ritual and more a season of togetherness.
Urban centers stage big public ceremonies — Addis Ababa’s Meskel Square becomes the national stage where civic leaders, clergy, and thousands gather — while villages celebrate with local demeras, songs, and dances. Wherever you are, the festival combines visible pageantry with private reverence: fireworks for the crowd and quiet crosses on foreheads for the faithful.
UNESCO recognized Meskel as an Intangible Cultural Heritage because it is not only a religious ritual but a living social practice: it marks seasons, reconnects families, and hands down stories by smoke and song. If you watch the flames, you’ll see tradition breathing — stubborn, warm and hopeful.
Quick practical tips if you want to join:
- Wear comfortable shoes — you’ll stand or move around the demera for hours.
- Bring a scarf or light cover since evenings can be breezy and full of smoke.
- Respect the liturgy: photos are okay in public areas, but be mindful near church services.
Meskel is, at once, a pageant and a promise: a country’s yearly reminder that memory, family, and faith can be celebrated with flowers and flame. It’s smoky, loud, and somehow gentle — exactly the kind of ritual that sticks to your ribs and your heart.