Ethiopians celebrate Meskel holiday with pomp, despite recent fighting in Tigray

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WELKITE, Ethiopia (AP) — Millions of Christians in Ethiopia gathered to celebrate Meskel, a religious holiday that commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by the Roman empress Helena in the 4th century, even as fighting continued in the troubled northern region of Tigray.

Meskel holds added significance in Ethiopia, a largely agrarian society, as it marks, along with the Ethiopian New Year, the end of the rainy season and the beginning of spring.

This year’s celebration comes as Ethiopia is once again facing conflict in its far northern and volatile region of Tigray, which has since spilled over into neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. There are fears the fighting could draw in neighboring Eritrea as a proxy actor.

Kibrom Yohannes had traveled from Denmark to mark the holiday in Adigrat in Tigray and celebrate with his extended family. But his flight to the troubled region was suddenly canceled after a conflict he had feared erupted between Ethiopian government troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

Instead, he came to the southwestern town of Welkite to celebrate with strangers while worrying about his family in Tigray.

“My elderly mother is in Tigray, along with my wife, who is visiting, and our extended family. I had not seen most of them for five years, and I had brought diabetes medication for my mother. Now, with the interruption of flights, I am worried about her condition worsening,” he told The Associated Press as he celebrated Meskel around a bonfire.

Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Meskel is celebrated with added fervor in the south of the country, with hundreds of thousands returning to their home regions to observe the holiday with friends and family.

Teklemariam Sahlemariam, a Toronto-based lawyer visiting Welkite for the second year, said he had seen fewer visitors this year but was nevertheless overwhelmed by the celebrations, which were filled with pomp and pageantry.

In Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, thousands of people gathered in Meskel Square, where they prayed before a huge bonfire was lit.

For many, Meskel remains a sacred annual holy day, celebrated on Sept. 27 and 28 as a deeply cherished feast for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. The celebration is marked by traditional rituals, including the lighting of the bonfire and, in some communities, the slaughtering of animals.

“The Holy Cross is the powerful instrument through which our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, conquered sin and death, triumphing through His resurrection,” the faithful say in prayers and religious observances marking the feast.

“Peace is essential for everything; without it, we can neither celebrate our holidays nor engage in meaningful dialogue,” said Fikreab Lebeza, 22, an Orthodox Church deacon.

Many Ethiopians are offering prayers for peace this year amid renewed fears of war and conflict following the Tigray war, which ended in 2022 after killing thousands and displacing more than a million people.

“Peace is vital for our country. As a people deeply rooted in faith and values, we Ethiopians should offer earnest prayers for peace during sacred celebrations such as Meskel. I, too, have come here today to pray and ask God for peace to reign over our nation,” said Sara Dinkayehu, 43, a merchant in Addis Ababa.