Ethiopian Orthodox Christians on Wednesday, officially commenced celebration of the Meskel Festival – one of the country’s holiest Christian celebrations – amid recurring conflicts occasioned by years of political instability.
The Meskel festival which marks “the finding in the fourth century of the ‘true cross’ that Jesus was crucified on” held at Meskel Square in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa with hundreds of priests, musicians, and singers in attendance.
“We celebrate Meskel to commemorate the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and the ultimate price that he paid for the sin of human beings,” Church choir member, Birtkuan Ayalew says.
Also sharing his thoughts on the significance of the festival, one of the priests in attendance said the celebration cleanses the mind and blurs the lines of disparity among Ethiopians.
“It helps us to forget those differences that have shaped us for so many years and brought us to these conflicts, wars, hates and yeah, atrocities as you know,” he said.
Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian countries in the world, dating back to the ancient Kingdom of Aksum. It is home of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, one of the oldest churches in Africa.