Meskel

History

Meskel means "cross". It remembers the finding of the True Cross, which Orthodox tradition says Empress Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, found in Jerusalem in the fourth century. On the eve, people gather around a tall bonfire called the demera, topped with a cross and daisies, and watch which way the burning pile falls. UNESCO listed the Meskel celebration in 2013.

Sources

• https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/commemoration-feast-of-the-finding-of-the-true-cross-of-christ-in-demera-and-meskel-00948
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meskel

Dates for the next 5 years

1. Orthodox

   2026

   Date

   Sunday, September 27, 2026 Meskerem 17, 2019

   Day off

2. Orthodox

   2027

   Date

   Tuesday, September 28, 2027 Meskerem 17, 2020

   Day off

3. Orthodox

   2028

   Date

   Wednesday, September 27, 2028 Meskerem 17, 2021

   Day off

4. Orthodox

   2029

   Date

   Thursday, September 27, 2029 Meskerem 17, 2022

   Day off

5. Orthodox

   2030

   Date

   Friday, September 27, 2030 Meskerem 17, 2023

   Day off