Meskel feast in Eritrea. The finding of the true cross has a byzantine origin. The cross of Christ had been lost (or hidden from profane eyes) for 300 years following the Crucifixion and Christians all over the world had been looking for it as a precious relic. One day, Eleni, the queen mother, consulted with her son Constantine and they agreed to start the search. Constantine was still not baptized as a Christian at the time. But during his fight against a rival king, he saw the words in hoc...
more »Meskel feast in Eritrea. The finding of the true cross has a byzantine origin. The cross of Christ had been lost (or hidden from profane eyes) for 300 years following the Crucifixion and Christians all over the world had been looking for it as a precious relic. One day, Eleni, the queen mother, consulted with her son Constantine and they agreed to start the search. Constantine was still not baptized as a Christian at the time. But during his fight against a rival king, he saw the words in hoc signo vinces written in the sky, meaning in this sign you will win. It was the sign of the cross. Constantine won the battle and began to have great respect for Christians and even made Christianity the official religion in his Roman Empire. So, Eleni, who it seems had her son baptized on his deathbed, goes up to Jerusalem in search of the true cross. All of a sudden an old man by the name of Kirakios ambles by. She stops him and pleads with him to help her in her holy search. He shows her three mounds and tells her that the cross was inside one of them. Eleni gathers some firewood and makes a bonfire (precursor of Damera) and sprinkles incense on it. The smoke produced by the spice soars towards heaven, turns around and nosedives onto the mound that contains the true cross. Eleni gets the message and starts to dig in the indicated mound. To her great surprise she discovers the true cross, and the people around her get so much exited that they light torches and begin to sing and dance. Eleni's holy grail type of discovery took place on the 19th of March 326 AD. Then why is the célébration of the finding of the true cross on the 27th of September. Eleni found the true cross in March, but the Church that she built in Jerusalem in its honor was inaugurated in September. Hence, Meskel falls on the month of September. If the Demera falls eastward, it is an omen because that's the direction from which Christ will come back to earth in the last days.
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