Meskel Festival: Ethiopian Christians celebrate 1st major festival of religious year

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA - SEPTEMBER 27, 2023: Ethiopian Orthodox Christians wearing traditional clothes gathered the Meskel Square in the heart of the capital Addis Ababa to celebrate Meskel Festival on Wednesday (Sept. 27). Meskel celebrations are the first major festival of the Ethiopian religious year. The national holiday has been observed since the 4th-century Roman Empress Helena. It symbolizes the moment when Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, finding the true cross upon which Jesus was crucified. While the celebrations witnessed colorful scenes, people flocked to the square in their traditional clothes, sang hymns and prayed with music specific to different regions.(Footage by Daniel Terefe /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)