Table of content

Content
Page

Acknowledgement
......I
Preface
II

Chapter One
1. Geographical Settings of Adigrat
town1
1.1 Meskel Celebration and Its meanings
1.2 Meskel Celebration in the World Wide
1.3 Meskel Celebration in Ethiopia

Chapter Two
2.1

Meskel Celebration In Adigrats town and its religious Aspects

Chapter Three
3.1Meskel Celebration Its Cultural Aspect

Chapter Four
4.1 Meskel Celebrations Its Relevance for Tourism
Conclusion

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Chapter One
1. Geographical Settings Of Adigrat
Adigrat is one of the most important towns of Tigray which involved from earlier
political centers and camps of regional governers.Some of them were antalo,
alanqot and adigrat.The decline of antalo was followed by the rise of adigrat, as
another, yet short lives, capital of tigray.
Prominent Adigrat is located 1416N and 3927E.it is used to serve as the capital
of Agawa,surrounded by a range of mountains (the peak of alaqwa).Adigrat held
a strategic position at the junction of the cross roads between Adwa in the west,
Asmara and Massawa in the north and Mekelle in the south. Towards the east, it is
delimited by the spectacular edge of the north eastern Ethiopia escarpment
dropping into the prominent trade routes linking Tigray and the red sea, on the
other hand, and such old market towns as Adwa, Hawzen, Antalo and Maqale on
the other.it has a settlement history dating back at least to the 14th c.
Tradition attributes the origin of the name Adigrat which means the country of
farmland, to the popular tigrians chief, daggazmach kefla wahid, the victory of
atse fasiledes during the first half of the 17 c.
Adigrat emerges as the political capital of tigray when daggazmach sabagadis
waldu of Agama assumed the govern ship of the region in the period 182230.sabagadis set up some palaces, churches and markets. This increasingly
attracted both natives and foreigners to establish permanent residences and a
few shops in the town.
Adigrat was an important market-center for salt, which was mined in the afar
districts of Araho and Barale in eastern Tigray. However, it declined after the
death of its patron Sabagadis, in 1830. It was repeatedly attacked, sacked and
plundered by the low landers and political rivals of sabagadis.in the late 1860s
the town had a rural appearance and much of it is still under cultivation today.
However, Adigrat like most Ethiopian towns, increased its commercial and
administrative importance during the period of the Italian occupation (Italian war,
1935-36) the Italians introduced the first elements of modern infrastructure,

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including stronger fortresses, rear ants, residential houses, health center, schools,
roads, piped water, an electric generator etc.
Climatic condition of adigrat town
As I already mention it, adigrat with an elevation of 2457 meters above sea level,
below a high ridge to the west. The weather is neither too hot nor too cold,
between June and August; it has high level of rain fall. The cold months are
between October and December. The driest seasons are January to April. There is
also the administrative center of Ganta afeshum woreda.it has an estimated
population of about 71,631 people. The city of A1digrat and its envious boast of
one of the best climate on the earth.
1.1 Meskel Celebration And Its Meanings
Prior the era of our hard and savior Jesus Christ, a cross was used as an
instrument of punishment. This is method of painful; execution was started in
Persia (the present day Iran). During that time, the Persians were worshiping an
earth god called Ormond. they believed that if an offender is punished while
in contact with the ground, he would desecrate

their earth god.as a result,

they started crucifying criminals for above the ground on across execution by
crucifixion

slowly expanded and become a common practice of the Roman

empire, in addition, before the birth of Christ, victims of crucifixion were

considered cursed.as God said to Moses, if a man has commuted a sin worthy of
death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not
remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that say, so that you
do not defile the hand which the hard your god is giving you as an inheritance,
for he who is hanged is accused of God.
Meskel (Geez) is annual religious holiday in the all Orthodox Churchs.
Commemorating the discovery
Of the true cross by queen (saint Helena)in the fourth century.

1.2.Meskel celebration in the world wide.

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The word meskel has two meanings. One literal meaning is the holy cross. The
other meaning is the

feast of the holy; an event which is annually

celebrated in all world commemoration of the finding of the holy cross. The holy
cross is very significant in the world orthodox churchs.it saves the world from
enemy; the devil, it is true that holy cross has saved the entire world; therefore; the
feast of meskel was celebrated by all Christians of the world in ancient times
specially the Jerusalem where our lord was crucified on the cross.

1.2.1 meskel in jerusalem

The holy cross on which Jesus lord was crucified healed the sick when they
touched.it after the rose from the dead. The Jesus crucified Jesus lord because he
was healing the sick and revived the dead when he touched them.in addition to
healing different kinds of diseases. The holy cross on which the Jesus crucified the
lord had given sight to the blind. When the cross continued, the wanted to life it
away from the knowledge of the people once for all.
Therefore, they buried it in ground, and to obliterate the burial site they
ordered people in Jerusalem to put their garbage on it which eventually turned into a
mountain after some years. But the Christians never lost sight of the place of the
burial of the holy cross, and could remember that it was buried under the mountain
of garbage. However, the site was forgotten after the Christians fled Jerusalem in 70
AD. Due to the invasion of the Roman generals Titus and vespasiamus.

1.2.2 Queen Helena and meskel

Queen Helena; the mother of Constantine the great had accepted Christianity before
her son, she made a vow that the world rebuild the destroyed churches and recover
the holly cross from where It was hidden if her son was converted to Christianity.
After his conversion queen Helena went to Jerusalem in 327 with a group of her
encourage fulfilling her vow. Constantine the great was also as much concerned
about recovering the holly cross as queen Helena was therefore, he was happy when
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she expressed her interest to search for and find the holly cross. He gave her a lot of
money and sent a lot of aids with her to Jerusalem to assist her in her searching for
the holy cross. After her arrival In Jerusalem, she ordered the digging of all
mountains in search of the holy cross.
She also ordered the Jews to clear off the mountains of Golgotha for the same
purpose. But the holy cross was not found as under other mountains so fardug.as a
desperate attempt to get the holy cross to force them to show her where they might
have buried it. But they adamantly refused to cooperate wither.
George; the son of an aid, says that queen Helena asked bishop macarius in
Jerusalem to show her where the holy cross was buried, and the hatred told her that
the renegades had put a lot of garbage on the burial site to the extent that it had
turned into a big mountain.
It so happened that she found an old man called karacious who told her that the
holy cross was buried in calvary (keranib) as his father had told him when he was
young. Thus pointing at that mountain were the holy cross was buried.
At the same time she was in a meditation for the revelation of the site of the holy
cross and her meditation was answered. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church believed
that the angel of god; st.michael, reveled to her that she would find the holy cross
with the help of the smoke of incense. with the help of the calve the old man gave
her and the revelation of the angel, she ordered again all people in Judea and
Jerusalem to bring
brought

their

poles

poles of wood (chibo) to burn incense in gologota.so they

and

put

them

together

(demera)

on

September

26

(meskerem(16)and put them on fire burning.

A lot of incense was put on the fire to wake a smoke to show where the holy cross
was buried, so after the smoke was made it a ascended to the sky and then bent
town to the ground indicating to the site where the holy cross remained buried.

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St.yared says, in his hymn book that the incense smoke had shown the site of the
holy cross, the smoke bowed to the holy cross.
Now that the site was known queen Helena ordered the people to begin digging the
site on September 26 after six months of digging, the holy cross was excavated on
march 19 (megabit 10)along with two other crosses on which two criminals named
Titus and darks were hanged with him with the same day at the same place so it
was found difficult to a distinguished among the three crosses on which one was
Christ crusaded .so she asked the assistance of bishop macarius in the mystery of
distinguishing the holy cross.
The bishop advised her that the cross that could heal the sick, and rises the dead
was the holy cross.so the holy cross raised the dead when it was put on the grave
and healed the sick when they touched it.
Thus the holy cross was distinguished from the cross of the two criminals. When the
holy cross was found the people sang ululating and danced saying, the holy cross
has lit; flourished and its flower has borne fruit;

1.2.3 Constantinople and Meskel

The good news of the finding of the true cross was passed to Constantinople, the
seat of Constantine the great, people from Jerusalem to Constantinople expressed
their joy by singing and lighting their neighborhood by waking fires and carrying
flowers when they heard that queen Helena had passed the good news about the
recovery of the holy cross to Constantinople.
Queen Helena built churches at the holy sites in between the birth place of Jesus,
mount olive where he told people about his second coming, in Golgotha where he
was crucified and buried.
The queen has decorated these churches with precious stone like diamond, gold and
silver, Constantine the great assisted her financially so that she could provide these
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churches the arch bishops of Alexandria Constantinople and Antioch. On the eve of
the inauguration they blessed the churches with religious services on September
26(meskerem16).accompanied by their followers the arch bishops went round the
churches carrying the holy cross and causers smoking with incense. Christians used
to celebrate in Jerusalem the feast of these founding of the holy cross Since Helena
found it, under a hip of mountain of garbage in Jerusalem.
The city of Jerusalem was frequently invaded and people living here made captives.
The holy cross was also carried a way from place by invaders with the captives a lot
of kings had made wars to recover the holy cross from captivity. Among the kings
who fought to recover the holy cross was Heraclius. He got it back after a long battle
when the Persian invaders took it. The crusade is also one other instance where
Christians and shade their blood for the sake of the holy cross. After the Christians
took the possession of the holy cross of the archbishops of Alexandria,

Antiou

Constantinople and Jerusalem had it broken into pieces and each shared a piece
among themselves.

1.2.4 The Holy Cross In Ethiopia

The piece of the holy cross that was share of Alexandria bishopric when a conflict
broke out between Christians and Muslims in Egypt. King David (1401 AD) made a
campaign to Egypt with the purpose of either reconciling the followers of the two
religious or if the Muslims refused the offer of his reconciliation, The threatened that
he could support in conflict his natural allies, The Coptic Christians. Before crossing
Sudan, from here he sent a message of warning to the king of Egypt either to solve
the conflict amicably or face the consequence of facing invasion or the division to
different direction of the Nile (abay) river which supplied water to Egypt. The
messenger of the king Egypt came to Emperor David with the good news that the
conflict was resolved and at the same time presented him with 12,000 dinars of gold
from the king of Egypt. But Emperor David returned the precious present thought his
messenger with gratitude for the offer and made request of a different present, the
piece of the holy cross kept under the custody of Alexandrian archbishop.
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After consultation was held between the Alexandria archbishop and the king of
Egypt they decided to meet the desire of the emperor of Ethiopia.so archbishop
Michael who was designated as a delegation brought to the emperor and presented
with the piece of the holy cross.
The icon of St. Mary pointed by st, Luke, the painting of the thorn put around the
beaten heat of Jesus when he was crucified painted by St. John,
The evangelist as well as holly articles to meet the delegation on their way emperor
David also traveled to Aswan which was at the time the border between Ethiopia
and Egypt. Even through the coming of the holy cross was a joy to the Ethiopian
Christians .It was unfortunate that Emperor David died at sinar (Sudan) while on his
way back home to Ethiopia with the piece of the Holy cross. The piece of the holy
cross stayed in sinar for a long time until son emperor zerayacob brought it to
Ethiopia with the remains of his father.as emperor zerayacob brought it to Ethiopia
with the remains of his father, as emperor zerayacob brought the piece of the holy
cross it was revealed to him by the lord that he should put the cross on a cross.so he
tried to put it on Mt, mengesha debrebirhan and other spots searching a suitable
place. There descended a blazing light the weight the piece of the holy cross
reached at a spot. This site was named debrebirhan, to mean the place of light. That
is show the present debrebrhan town got its current name commutation has been
annually in the church since the light, March 19(megabit 10), the light
Descended on debrbrhan eventually Gishen Mountain was found exactly to be the
right place for the holly cross. This is a mountain and looks a natural cross on the
top of it atse (emperor) zerayacob started to consecrate churchs in the vows of god
the father (Igziabher ab) and st,marry after he kept the piece of holy cross here. The
contraction took three years to be finished and on act 1, 1421 EC.
The churches were consecrated
It was at this time that by the will of the emperor the holy cross was decided to be
buried under an earth under the temple of god the father of church.
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The holy cross was put as follows:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

first of all the holy cross was put in a box of gold

the box of gold was put in silver box
the silver box was put in an iron box
the iron box was put in another from box
the iron box was put in a broze box and this was stamped by the emperor
and was put in a bed made from ivory
it was decided, that strong spiritual restrictions were passed by the
contemporary bishops called Abba Michael and Abba Gabriel and also Abba
yohannes episcopes, so no king could take the holy cross from Gishen to
other places

And there are two occasions of meskel. The first is demera (September 26) in which
bonfires are built topped by across to which flowers are tied .The flowers are daisies.
The patriarch of the Ethiopia church orchestrated the lightening ceremony. After the
bonfires are blessed they are lt. And fancing and singing

begins around them.

Priests in full ceremonial dress sing around the bonfire. While the demera is set of
fire there is an inner feeling of brightness for all those who are around it.
The day after the demera is meskel. This day is observed with plenty of food and
drink as believers go to the spot of the demera and, using ashes from the fire, mark
their heats with the sign of the cross. The festival coincides with mass blooming of
the golden yellow meskel daisies. The best place to see the meskel festival in the
capital city Addis Abba at the famous meskel square, but all along the historic route
(Bahir Dar, Gonder, Axum, and Lalibela) and in other major towns, meskel is
colorfully celebrated.

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Sources
1. The Ethiopian synaxarium
2. Special bulletin prepared by the general office of the Patriarchate of
EOTC occasion of 2009 meskel demera celebration
3. Saints and monasteries in Ethiopia, by kesis kefyalew merahi from the
office website of mahibere kidusan ,http;//multimedia,eotc-m kidusan.org/

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Chapter three
3.Meskel Celebration And Its Cultural Aspects
The idea of culture is broad and wide.it is developed from time to time and can be
varied from time to time, place to place and country to country. It contains both
visible and non-visible things that are transferred from generation to generation. It
helps one society to share its idea, ways of living, eating, dressings and other
activities to another. There are a lot of cultural practices in tigray especially at
eastern tigray.Among those common one are meyies and thilo.

The word

meyies were coined from geez and different writers, historian and tourists called it
The habesha wine. There is no a written information on when meyies ewer
prepared but according to the Greek author Evakrean it had been prepared since the
Axum it evolution. Some geological studies suggest that glasses were found in
Axum. Pop Fancies Allovers also stated that meyies were present during the emperor
in 1530.At 1770 the Scottish writer James brass indicated that it were drunken by
emperors of Ethiopia. At January 1864 E.C Dejazmat Kassa were made lot of meyies
by spending 150,000 dinar with its family, relatives, and other gusts. During 1896EC
drunken meyies using horn of elephant. At 1908 Emerson on his book (Beverages
past and present) indicated that it were drunken using Birlea which is made from
glasses. In 1865 William Dalton indicated that it were highly practiced by the
emperors. In Tigray it was practiced during different cultural practices like kusme,

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Meskeal, Wedding, Epiphany and Teskar. It can also drunken by individuals and
groups. This drinking practice becomes popular in Tigray regions.

3.1How to prepare Meyies

As we see at the above meyies were drunken in Tigray region. Before the
introduction of Merbil or Gomait were prepared in Genei or Sheleka. The first
step is to put Genei on smoke of special tree pieces called Awleae.Soon as this
step is done it should be placed on smoke of Seraw. The next ste is to insert the
honey to the water and plastic it until one week to perfectly fermented. The next
one is to open the Genei+ and insert a powder of gesho while this activity is done
it will be paked for about two weeks after this the Gesho will be removed while the
Meyies is pouring using mebkaeti the remaining meyies will be packed ones again
until 45 days. After this it will be ready to use. Nowadays the preparation of meyies
is much similar with the old one. The only difference is in the duration of time. Now
on the packaging system lasts from 8-9 days.
The quality of meyies depends up on the ratio and quality of honey and gesho.it also
depends on the duration of time it takes to prepare it, environment and time. Same
experienced drinkers said that the quality of meyies is easy to differentiate by its
taste and smell. The best one tastes honey and smells honey when get closer to our
nose. Some elders said that this type of meyies has healthy advantage like it
increase your sight and cleans your stomach. However it should be drunk in small
amount.
You cannot drink it without any supplementary food. These foods are like tibsi siga,
rawmeat, quanta fifir, tehilo, kitfo. During resent time hunters hunt wild animals and
eat them. At this time they drink meyies which they bring it from their home. The
cost of meyies varies from time to time. At Emprior Haileslasea 35 birlea meyies
costs one Maryatereza. During Derg 10 brlea meyies costs one birr. While now one
birlea costs 7-9 birr depending on its quality. It plays a good social role in developing
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friendships, partnerships, and communications among elders and youngsters but it

should

be

drunk

according

to

your

level

as

it

can

create

fighting

and

disappointment. There are a lot of poems used during drinking alcohol. Among these
are
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

3.2 THILO
This cultural practice is commonly practiced in wereda kletew laelo and agame. In
kletew laelo it is eaten daily while in Agame in special cazes. It is prepared to gusts
also as a special meal. It is prepared from barley. The common one are the following:
1. Barley yeha
2. Barley burguda
3. Barley guna
4. Barley atena

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5. Barley tselim
6. Barley demhay
Among those the best once that are highly used in kltew laelo and agame are
burguda and atena respectively.
How to Prepare Thilo

The first step is to separate un necessary materials that are mixed with barley. After
this it will be pounded on a big hole locally called Mogueh.After this it will be
bathed by sun. Later on it will be roasted. During this process it should be mixed
using Mokester. After this it should be pounded in a big machine. After this take
some part of powdered barley and insert it in water. Now we can mix it with one of
our hand until it became soft. This process is locally called Melwas. Lastly it will be
putted in Kerheit. The stew which can be used for this purpose can be made either
from butter or oil depending on the individuals income. Thilo can be delivered either
from stew of meat or sugo. (A stew made from berbere, tomato and onion. On the
above of the stew we can put Hilbet (made from Hukan and powder of barley).
Finally it will be ready to use. At this time meyies or suwa can be served.
There

is

another

cultural

aspect

of

irob

community

in

eastern

part

of

Tigray.Geezimis a traditional food in irob.it is prepared from both normal meat and
large intestine. First bormal meat is prepared like for other sources without cooking.
Considering the size of the intestine, it already prepared meat filled in it and tied by
its part. Finally its cooked in an outdoor fair so as to be cooked it very well. When
the cooker thinks it already well cooked, its finally ready for mailing by a large
number of people organized to celebrate meskel.

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CHAPTER FOUR
4.Meskel, Its Relevance for Tourism
The Agame area is very rich in tourism potentials. There are vast historical places
from the oldest Queen Sheba`s ancient kingdom in Asefe Sebeya area to rock hewn
churches. Agame is also the home of mutual agreement and unity with diversity
between the Muslims and Christian inhabitants. The Ahmed Al Nejashi mosque is the
second Muslim holy land next to mecca which is found in between the capital city
Adigrat and Wukro.

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Traditional games like karsa (Harling), rural Falk music (Goyla), Yahlela, Gebeta,
Dabacho, Baeleydo baelika, Baydo tseba, Tehabki, Ashenda,Shewlalo, Sh`uta (during
wedding time) chguraf haweria...etc. can also use at tourism potential games.
There are also colorful religious celebrations like Meskel (finding of the true cross),
Timket (Epiphany), wishing the holly water of Quaqimen and also very colorfully
celebrated in the
Agame area and in most Tigray. We need to protect and preserve such wonderful
traditional cultures and transfer to the next generation
The people`s traditional song and dances, the religious ceremony and rituals and life
style of the indigenous peoples are also worth seeing. In general living the immense
wealth of tourism; the demand for more services is far from being satisfied. Tigray
and Agame are being an open air museum, needs more hotels, Loges, restaurants,
tour operators and catering institutions.

Conclusion
Adigrat emerged as the political capital of Tigray when daggagzmach sabagadis
waldu of agame assumed the governorship of the region in the period 18221830E.C.Sabgagadis set up some places, churches and markets.
Mesekel is an annual religious holiday in the Orthodox Church. Ethiopia is the one
country which celebrated meskel with the beautiful culture attractions and Damera
has been celebrated in Ethiopia based on the belief that queen Elena was told in
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dream to make a large bonfire Demera and the smoke would show her where true
cross was buried down.
The celebration of Mesekel has a good attention in Ethiopia and Tigray region.
Tourists came to Ethiopia and Tigray regions to visit the celebration of meskel with in
cultural,natural,religious beliefs and heritage sites. Tourists enjoy that celebration
mesekel in Adigrat town and all around Ethihopia.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to express my deepest thanks to the almighty Gad who helped to
achieve my goal.
Next to that, my profound thanks goes to my adviser Mr. Abrha Adhiena (MA) for his
valuable advice, diligent comments and guidance.

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I am thank full to unforgettable moral and material support of my father Priest

G.yowhannes Mihretu, my mother W/ro Birhan W.gerima and my friend Fanuel
Gebrab in this long and difficult academic journey.
I should also like to thank my informants who provide me with price less information
and also, I would like to express my indebtedness to all mehabere agazian workers
in Adigrat town.

Preface
This senior essay is written on the celebration of mesekel in Adigrat.

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The paper consists of four chapters. The first chapter tries to Geographical settings
of Adigrat town, celebration of mesekel in Ethiopia and in the world wade .The
second chapter attempts the celebration mesekel in Adigrat town and its religious
aspects. The third chapter covers mesekel celebrations and its cultural aspects. And
the fourth chapter covers Meskel and its relevance for tourism.
Finally, I hope that this paper will be important spring board for those who will
celebrate Meskel conduct further research in Adigrat area.

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