The Meskel Demera Festival has commenced at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa with a series of religious ceremonies.
The annual celebration, held every year on September 16 in the Ethiopian Calendar, is marked by grand religious observances at Meskel Square.
The event was attended by President Sahle-Work Zewde, His Holiness Abune Mathias, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, other high-ranking religious leaders, senior government officials, diplomats, and representatives from various religious institutions.
In addition, choirs from Sunday schools, devout followers, and international visitors from different countries were present at the festival.
Meskel is one of the most significant public celebrations for followers of Christianity in Ethiopia and is observed with great reverence.
The Demera ceremony, which includes the lighting of a large bonfire, is one of the key elements of the festival.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church holds this Demera ceremony annually on September 16 in the Ethiopian Calendar, with its unique significance for the faithful.
The Meskel Demera Festival has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and is listed as part of Ethiopia's global heritage.