Meskel: A Celebration Carried Through Generations

As the yellow “Adey Abeba” flowers emerge across Ethiopia’s highlands, the country enters a season associated with renewal, reunion and celebration. In Addis Ababa, another sign of the season is the growing preparation for the “Demera,” the traditional bonfire lit on the eve of Meskel.

On September 26, 2026, Ethiopians will gather around towering piles of branches and poles prepared for the annual bonfire. Priests and church choirs fill the surroundings with prayers, hymns and rhythmic chants before the “Demera” is set alight.

The following day, September 27, Christians observing the feast will mark “Meskel,” the commemoration of the finding of the True Cross of Christ.

At its heart, Meskel is a Christian religious feast, particularly associated with the faithful of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Over generations, however, its observance has also become woven into Ethiopia’s social and cultural life, bringing together families, neighbors and communities through shared rituals, songs, prayers and gatherings.

The story of Meskel stretches beyond the flames of a single night. According to Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church tradition, the religious story behind the feast dates to fourth-century Jerusalem.

Church tradition associates the finding of the True Cross with Queen Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Ethiopian tradition holds that after praying to find the Cross, she ordered a fire to be lit and that the direction of its smoke revealed where the Cross had been buried.

That tradition provides the religious foundation for the “Demera,” the great bonfire built on Meskel Eve. The fire is thus a ritual symbol associated with the finding of the Cross and with the Christian faith at the center of the celebration.

The precise early history of how the feast became established in Ethiopia is preserved through religious tradition and historical accounts. Meskel became deeply embedded in Ethiopian Christianity following the adoption of Christianity by the Aksumite Kingdom in the fourth century.

Over subsequent centuries, the feast developed practices that became distinctly Ethiopian. The “Demera,” processions, church hymns, prayers, dancing and the use of the Meskel daisy became part of a celebration observed in religious settings and communities across the country.

Ethiopian historical and church traditions also connect the history of the True Cross with Gishen Mariam, a mountain monastery in the Wollo area. Accounts associate the development of the feast with the reign of Emperor Zara Yaqob in the 15th century and with the veneration of a relic associated with the True Cross.

The history of the feast, therefore, is not a single event with one easily documented starting date.

That longer history is reflected in the way Meskel has been observed in Addis Ababa. The public “Demera” ceremony gradually became one of the capital’s defining annual gatherings. Historical accounts indicate that before present-day Meskel Square became the main setting, the city’s central celebration was held near St. George’s Cathedral. The ceremony later moved south to an area near St. Estifanos Church, where the open space could accommodate growing crowds.

The relocation became part of the modern history of the square. Historical accounts document Meskel celebrations at the Estifanos site from 1961 E.C., while the space was formally named Meskel Square in 1963 E.C. The square’s history would later become intertwined with Ethiopia’s political history.

Following the 1974 revolution, the Derg government renamed the space “Abiyot,” or Revolution, Square, and expanded its use for state ceremonies, military parades and political gatherings. The Meskel celebration, however, remained associated with the site for years.

In 1988, the Derg government moved the Meskel celebration away from the square, with the ceremony returning to a smaller site near St. George’s Cathedral. After the political transition in 1991, the square regained the name Meskel Square, and the celebration returned to its prominent place there.

Today, Meskel Square is the country’s most prominent public setting for the national “Demera” ceremony, drawing worshippers, clergy, church choirs and large crowds.

By the time UNESCO recognized “Meskel,” the celebration had already been carried through generations of Ethiopian religious and social life.

In 2013, UNESCO inscribed the celebration under the official title “Commemoration feast of the finding of the True Holy Cross of Christ” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The inscription recognizes the celebration’s roots in Ethiopia’s religious and cultural traditions and its role in social cohesion, reconciliation, family reunions and the transmission of knowledge and practices from one generation to the next. UNESCO’s description also notes that the celebration is observed across Ethiopia and that local churches play an important role in coordinating communities and safeguarding the tradition.

For Abba Aymero Biruh, a priest in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the bonfire carries a spiritual meaning rooted in the church’s tradition surrounding Queen Helena and the finding of the True Cross.

“When Queen Helena prayed to find the Holy Cross, she did not rely on human wisdom alone; she lit a fire, and the smoke rose toward the heavens before bending down to reveal where the Cross lay buried beneath centuries of debris,” he said.

 Aymero also connected the story to contemporary concerns in Ethiopia.

“Today, our country and our families carry many burdens. But the message of ‘Meskel’ is that light cannot stay hidden under dirt forever. The smoke reminds us to lift our prayers, reconcile with our neighbors, and remember that forgiveness and peace are at the heart of the Cross. When we gather around the bonfire, we are renewing our spirit as one people under God,” he said.

Reconciliation and family reunions are among the social practices UNESCO identifies as part of the celebration. The days surrounding “Meskel” are also associated with prayer, gatherings and the renewal of relationships.

The communal nature of the celebration remains important even as families prepare for it amid economic pressures.

Tofik Melkamu, a longtime Addis Ababa resident and celebrant, said rising prices have made it more difficult for some families to prepare for the celebration as they once did.

“We are so happy to celebrate starting from September 26, ‘Demera Day.’ We cannot hide that the economic situation these days is extremely difficult. Prices in the market make it hard for many families to prepare the way they used to. Yet, despite these financial strains, look around — thousands of people still pour into the streets and squares as one body to thank God,” he said.

For Tofik, the communal nature of the celebration remains more important than the financial difficulties surrounding it.

“That unity is what makes us special as Ethiopians. Money comes and goes, but our faith and togetherness remain,” he said.

His hope for the celebration extends beyond the ceremony itself. “My ultimate prayer this year is for peace and love to reign over every region of our country,” Tofik said.

The continuation of “Meskel” also depends on younger generations. At public celebrations, Sunday-school students are among the most visible participants. Their coordinated songs, prayers and movements form a major part of the ceremony around the “Demera,” carrying the observance into another generation.

For Hana Mengesha, a worshipper who attends the celebration, the approach of the “Demera” is itself a moment of anticipation.

“As a worshipper, I personally miss this moment all year round. I get so excited when ‘Demera’ approaches,” she said.

She described watching thousands of Sunday-school students sing together as one of the most memorable parts of the celebration.

“Standing in the crowd and watching thousands of Sunday-school students singing for God in unison is breathtaking. It fills me with intense pride to be part of this heritage as an Ethiopian,” Hana said.

For her, the celebration also offers a public expression of Ethiopian religious and cultural life.

“Beyond our religious devotion, this celebration showcases Ethiopia’s beauty to the entire world. It acts as a primary cultural attraction for tourists, showing them how religion, art, community and hospitality blend seamlessly in our culture,” she said.

The participation of young people is also one of the ways knowledge and practices associated with “Meskel” are passed from one generation to the next. Parents bring children to celebrations, churches teach songs and prayers, and Sunday-school students participate in public ceremonies. Families repeat practices they learned from older generations.

Although Meskel Square provides the country’s most visible public stage, “Meskel” is observed across Ethiopia, in cities, towns and rural communities. “Demeras” are prepared in local communities, churches organize religious observances, and families gather to mark the occasion.

In some places, the celebration takes place around a neighborhood church or within a family compound. In others, large public gatherings bring together thousands of people. The scale varies, but the religious focus remains the commemoration of the finding of the True Cross.

The celebration can also become a time of movement and reunion. People living away from their families may return home, while relatives use the holiday as an opportunity to meet after long periods apart. UNESCO’s documentation identifies family reunions and the movement of people as part of the social life surrounding the celebration.

The timing of “Meskel” also gives it a distinctive place in Ethiopia’s annual calendar. By September, the heavy “Kiremt” rains have begun to recede in much of the country, the skies begin to clear and yellow “Meskel” daisies become a familiar feature of the landscape.

The flowers have become one of the visual symbols associated with the celebration and the transition into the Ethiopian New Year season.

For many Ethiopians, these elements are connected to memories of childhood and family: the flames of the “Demera,” the songs of Sunday-school students or journeys home to celebrate with relatives.

UNESCO’s 2013 inscription also highlights the role of communities in maintaining the tradition. That continuity is particularly relevant to “Meskel,” whose meaning is tied to the religious practices and communities that observe it.

As the “Demera” burns, the flames eventually weaken. Branches collapse into glowing embers, and the towering structure is reduced to ash. The following day, September 27, 2026, Christians observing the feast mark “Meskel” through religious services and continued celebration.

Families meet. Communities gather. Songs are remembered and repeated. Children watch and participate in practices passed down by their parents and grandparents.

The celebration has continued through changing political, economic and social circumstances while retaining its central religious meaning. Meskel Square has changed names and functions, and generations have changed, but the “Demera” remains a central part of the annual observance.