True Cross

Yesterday I mentioned being in Ethiopia and celebrating Meskel — a holiday in commemoration of the Finding of the True Cross. I thought the True Cross might be a good topic for today….

Meskal is an annual religious Ethiopian holiday among Orthodox Christian believers. It takes place near the end of September. In addition to its religious values, Meskel coincides with the end of the main rainy season and the onset of Ethiopian spring.

Meskal is also a time when many urbanites return to their villages. The villages celebrate Demera — a ceremonial burning of a large bonfire. The faithful paint their foreheads with the ash from the bonfire as a gesture of good will. The event is conducted on the eve of Meskel to recall the smoke that supposedly led Empress Helena to the site of the True Cross. Here’s the story as I understand it….

The True Cross, upon which Christ had been crucified, was thrown in a ditch and then covered with litter until Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of Rome, discovered the location of the three crosses that were believed to be used at the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves that were executed with Him. Empress Helena had a revelation in a dream to make a bonfire and the smoke would show her where the True Cross was buried. So she ordered the people to bring wood and make a huge pile. Frankincense was added to the pile and then lit. The smoke rose up into the sky and returned to the ground, exactly at the spot where the True Cross had been buried. 

The national feast of Demera is held at Miskel Square, a big square in Addis Ababa, every year in commemoration of Finding of the True Cross. The celebration dates back 1600 years….
Today, Meskel also marks the start of tourist season in Ethiopia — tourists from many countries converge on Ethiopia to enjoy the ceremonies during the Meskel celebrations. 
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