Meskel festival in Ethiopia: Orthodox church believers call for peace

Thousands of Orthodox Christians celebrate the annual Meskel festival in Ethiopia. It commemorates the historical finding of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. A bonfire is lit to symbolize the efforts of Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, to find the cross.

This year, believers prayed for peace and an end to civil war in the country. “The cross represents reconciliation. The conflict between our two brothers should be resolved through reconciliation. It is imperative that the parties come to an agreement and live in peace, as we used to do,” said Ethiopian Orthodox Church priest Tsegaye Gidey.

The Meskel festival roughly coincides with the end of the rainy season in southern Ethiopia. It’s a public holiday when families get together and migrant workers go home.

The Ethiopian Festival of the Finding of the Cross was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013.

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