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Ethiopia has a number of impressive and inspiring cultural and religious festivals that were inscribed on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. year. These unique street festivals include Meskel (The Finding of the True Cross), Irreechaa on Thanksgiving Day of the Oromo people, Timket (Epiphany), and Fichee-Chambalaalla, a New Years festival celebrated among the Sidama people.
Last week, Meskerem 17, 2013 (September 27), followers of the Tewahedo Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebrated Demera and Meskel across the country. And just after a week of Meskel, that is, Meskerem 24, (October 4) Irreechaa will be warmly celebrated among the people of Oromo.
In fact, this year’s Demera festival (the burning of bonfires in Meskel Square in the capital) was not marked in the way it had been celebrated for centuries with large gatherings due to the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic. Rather, it was marked with a limited number of people, no more than 5,000 attendees to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
However, tourists who came to the country and attend the festival could not help but express their enthusiasm and feelings about the distinctive character of the festival.
Farid Khalaf is from Lebanon. He told The Ethiopian Herald that he had read about the Ethiopian Meskel festival in books since his childhood. The performances are impressive, he said.
“As the celebration is in line with the COVID-19 precautionary measures and the organizers enforce the measures prudently, my visit was very gratifying.”
This glorious and magnificent celebration must be seen by all the people, especially Christians who love these cultural and religious events. The Meskel holiday must be well preserved, he stressed.
The Finding of the True Cross is an important event among the followers of the religion and the festival here is marked with impressive and tempting events. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the original churches of Christianity; and the Meskel celebration must be persistently sustained, he opined.
The other tourist, Mikaela Panagiotopoulou is from Greece. According to her, she first learned about the celebration from her father, who had been at the celebration on the day.
She came from Greece to Ethiopia to witness the event and experience the celebration. She was happy that the occasion had been well organized so that she could prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Milnaela Panagio Fopoaloa, 23, also came from Greek. He praised the peaceful coexistence of Ethiopian Christians, which the event symbolizes peace not only for the followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but for all Ethiopians and the rest of the world.
“I have never experienced such a colorful festival,” she added excitedly.
Spyros Panagiotopoulou, Mikaela’s father, said he first heard about the Meskel celebration from his friend who lived in Ethiopia. And he came to celebrate the party for the second time.
“The liturgical performances on the occasion are heartwarming.”
He also appreciated the people of Ethiopia for their hospitality, customs and traditions that compel him to visit the country again and again.
Speaking of the pandemic, he said that the event took place giving the highest priority to health measures; and you have found your tour safe and adorable.
The celebration, the choirs, the singing of the Psalms of David and the Woreb by the priests and deacons have made the holiday so unique and tempting, he said.
Meskel reflects the authentic culture and tradition of the nation.
Diongsia Komioti, a travel writer from Greece, told the Ethiopian News Agency that Meskel is becoming one of the most important ritual holidays for many travelers due to the distinctive feature of the celebration and the values of the various people of Ethiopia.
“I am very excited to come here and see the unity, peace and love among Christians celebrating Meskel. I love all the clergy works and the ceremony,” Komioti said.
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Mentioning that the Meskel ceremony is a popular intangible heritage of Ethiopia that was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, he said that strengthening the preservation and use of the celebration in the most original way would make it possible to attract huge visitors from all over the world.
“I advise Ethiopia and its people to continue to celebrate the Meskel festival in its most original form, as it is a world cultural heritage and has become an event of growing tourist attraction,” he commented.
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased the number of foreign tourists and people attending the Demera (procession) this year, Meskel will continue as a tourist destination after the pandemic was stopped.
As Meskel is one of the best ritual tourist attraction events in Ethiopia, the carnival is an occasion to generate foreign exchange from thousands of tourists who come from Europe, the United States and Asia, as well as many African countries.
