Meskel is one of Ethiopia’s most important religious celebrations, second only in significance to Timkat. The festival has been celebrated in Ethiopia for more than 1,600 years and is deeply connected to the country’s Orthodox Christian traditions.
The word “Meskel” means “Cross” in Ge’ez and Amharic, and the festival commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by Empress Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. According to Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, Empress Helena discovered the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified in the fourth century AD. Although the original event is traditionally associated with March 19, 326 AD, Ethiopia celebrates Meskel annually on September 27 (or September 28 during leap years).
The celebration begins on the eve of Meskel with the preparation of the Demera, a large ceremonial bonfire. Tall wooden branches are gathered together, decorated with yellow Meskel flowers, and placed in public squares and community areas before being set on fire. According to tradition, this ceremony recalls the story of Empress Helena, who is believed to have used smoke from burning incense to locate the hidden Holy Cross.
As the Demera burns, people gather around the fire with singing, prayers, and traditional celebrations. The direction in which the smoke falls is traditionally believed to carry special meaning and is observed as part of the cultural ceremony.
Meskel is also associated with the presence of a fragment of the True Cross at Gishen Mariam, a historic mountain monastery located in the Wollo region of Ethiopia. The monastery houses an important religious manuscript known as the Tefut, which contains traditions about how a fragment of the True Cross was brought to Ethiopia during the medieval period.
Today, Meskel remains a major cultural and religious event throughout Ethiopia, bringing together communities in colorful celebrations filled with faith, music, traditional clothing, and shared cultural heritage.
