Demera to be observed today

Followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church across the country will be observing today the Demera, the annual bonfire lighting ceremony on the eve of the anniversary of Meskel (the finding of the true cross by St Helena in the fourth century AD).

Here in the capital, Addis Ababa, celebrations will begin in the afternoon with tens of thousands of followers gathering at Meskel Square to observe the colorful ceremony.

Hundreds of pilgrims, tourists, resident diplomats, clerics, expats and government officials will join the ritual where tens of thousands gather around a huge bonfire which is lit at sunset.

The celebration commemorates the discovery by Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, of the cross on which Jesus Christ is believed to have been crucified.

Source: EBC