Meskel Holiday

Yesterday was a big holiday in Ethiopia.  It is called Meskel (which means cross).  This is an Orthodox holiday that is greatly celebrated through all of Ethiopia, especially in the Southern region.  Protestant Christians don’t celebrate Meskel but it is a day off from work so most use it as a day to spend with their family.

It is believed that Queen Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, found the cross that Christ was crucified on.  She claimed that in a dream she had a vision that she was to light a bonfire and the smoke would lead her to the true cross.  She claimed that she light that fire and the smoke lead her to the place where she found three crosses buried in the ground, one of which was the true cross.  This holiday is celebrated in September in Ethiopia, even though it is believed that the cross was actually found six months prior.

This day is huge in Ethiopia.  People celebrate with fireworks and making bonfires.  Since it is believed that the cross was found because of a bonfire people light bonfires all over the country in celebration.  Some people even put a cross above the bonfire and burn that. 

One of the cross bonfires I came across.

The crazy, expensive celebrations kind of reminded me of the gross expense that goes into the celebration of Christmas in America.  Some families send their children to bigger cities to work and they save the money the make for the entire year and then spend it all on the Meskel celebrations.  Then they go away the next year and save all of that money and blow it all again on a day of celebration.  

It was interesting to see how people celebrate this holiday here but it actually made me really sad.  People are celebrating a thing-the cross-instead of celebrating the person that died on that cross.  The cross is an object.  It was a means that allowed Jesus to offer himself as a payment for our sins so we could be cleansed.  The cross didn’t do anything.  The cross can do nothing for us.  I am not saying that we can’t use it as a symbol to remind us of what happened that day on Calvary but the Orthodox don’t believe that Christ’s death is the payment for their sins so I really don’t understand this whole holiday.  In simple terms, the Orthodox believe Mary is more important than Jesus.  They believe that Mary is the intercessor for their sins and that she will be their advocate.  I hate seeing so many people worship a false savior.  I pray that the eyes of the Orthodox in Ethiopia will be opened to the Truth.  It seems that we have a lot more work to do here in spreading the Truth.