Meskel
27
Sep
Meskel is a Christian festival that has been observed in Ethiopia for over 1,600 years. It commemorates the discovery of the true cross upon which Jesus was crucified. In Addis Ababa’s Meskel Square, the celebration is marked with a colorful procession of priests, deacons, and choir singers who walk around a huge pyre, bearing ceremonial crosses and wooden torches decorated with olive leaves. The torch-bearers set fire to the pyramid-shaped structure, then the faithful use the ash to make the sign of the cross on their foreheads.
