Ethiopian Christians celebrate Demera, the discovery of Jesus’ cross

By Tinishu Solomon

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Millions of Ethiopian Orthodox church members on Wednesday celebrated the Demera, the eve of the discovery of the cross on which Jesus Christ is believed to have been crucified.

Celebrations began in the afternoon with tens of thousands of followers gathering at Meskel Square to celebrate the holy day, together with hundreds of pilgrims, tourists and foreign diplomats.

In Addis Ababa, all roads leading to the city’s famous Meskel Square were closed for the day to avoid traffic jams.

Demera, the eve of the discovery of the cross, one of the main religious ceremonies of Ethiopia’s most dominant religion, is celebrated colorfully throughout the country.

More than 100,000 people, including hundreds of priests and deacons attired in Ethiopia’s traditional plain white clothes, gathered to mark the day with a grand bonfire ceremony, lit by the leader of the Orthodox Church.

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