Ethiopia Marks Meskel Festival Amid Renewed Tigray Conflict Fears

Millions of Ethiopian Christians gathered across the country to celebrate Meskel, the annual religious festival commemorating the 4th-century discovery of the True Cross by Roman empress Helena, even as fighting persisted in the northern region of Tigray.

The holiday carries special meaning in Ethiopia's largely agrarian society, marking the end of the rainy season and the arrival of spring alongside the Ethiopian New Year. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Meskel is observed with particular fervor in the south, where hundreds of thousands travel to their home regions to join family and friends.

In the capital, Addis Ababa, thousands assembled at Meskel Square, praying before a large bonfire was lit. The celebration, held on Sept. 27 and 28, features traditional rituals including bonfire lighting and, in some communities, animal sacrifice.

This year's festivities unfolded against the backdrop of renewed conflict in Tigray, which has spread into the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. There are concerns the fighting could draw in neighboring Eritrea as a proxy actor.

Kibrom Yohannes, who traveled from Denmark to mark the holiday with relatives in the Tigrayan town of Adigrat, saw his flight canceled after clashes erupted between Ethiopian government troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front. He instead joined celebrations in the southwestern town of Welkite, where he worried about family members back home.

"My elderly mother is in Tigray, along with my wife, who is visiting, and our extended family. I had not seen most of them for five years, and I had brought diabetes medication for my mother. Now, with the interruption of flights, I am worried about her condition worsening," he said.

Teklemariam Sahlemariam, a Toronto-based lawyer visiting Welkite for the second consecutive year, noted fewer visitors but described the celebrations as filled with pomp and pageantry.

Many Ethiopians offered prayers for peace amid fears of renewed war following the Tigray conflict, which ended in 2022 after killing thousands and displacing more than a million people.

"Peace is essential for everything; without it, we can neither celebrate our holidays nor engage in meaningful dialogue," said Fikreab Lebeza, 22, an Orthodox Church deacon.

Sara Dinkayehu, 43, a merchant in Addis Ababa, echoed that sentiment. "Peace is vital for our country. As a people deeply rooted in faith and values, we Ethiopians should offer earnest prayers for peace during sacred celebrations such as Meskel. I, too, have come here today to pray and ask God for peace to reign over our nation," she said.