Int’l Stakeholders Need to Preserve Meskel Festival: Foreign Ambassadors

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Addis Ababa September 28/2019 International stakeholders including UNESCO should exert maximum efforts to preserve the Meskel festival, which Ethiopians observe every year to commemorate the finding of the True Cross, Ambassadors residing in Addis Ababa said.

The Demera celebration, which is part of the Meskel Festival, is a grand outdoor holiday that Ambassadors residing in Addis Ababa and tourists from the across the globe enjoy attending.

The Demera celebration has colorfully celebrated yesterday across the country. In Addis Ababa the day celebrated in Meskel Square in the presence of followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, clergy, tourists and diplomatic community.

Ambassadors of Serbia and Japan are among the foreign dignitaries, who attended the Demera celebration. Delighted to attend the event, the Ambassadors emphasized the need to sustainably preserve the heritage.

Ambassador of Serbia to Ethiopia, Aleksandar Ristic told ENA that "this is something that Ethiopia has in a very unique way. While the world is in a difficult situation, this country has managed to successfully preserve and use this celebration in the most original way.

The entire world fortunately can see this "glorious and magnificent" celebration, he said, adding it should be well preserved.

“This global heritage must be protected by all international stakeholders specially UNESCO that takes care of tangible and cultural intangible heritages. Ethiopia itself as we all know is a host of many heritages like Libela,  Tiya,  Meskel and other celebrations of Nations and Nationalities of the country shown to the rest of the world something very spectacular and magnificent”, he said.

Praising the peaceful coexistence of Ethiopians, he stated that this event passes a message of peace for not only for followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but all Ethiopians and others, he noted.

"Ethiopia has a huge potential in culture and tourism especially this has a country of huge cultural heritages that can attract people to come not only to see but also to learn how people of different religions and cultures and languages can live in peace together”, he added.

"The celebration of Meskel is absolutely magnificent and it belongs to the entire world civilization. It is one of the most beautiful events in Ethiopia, which is a country of rich cultural religious heritages," he said.

Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Daisuke Matsunaga said "it is exciting to observe how it is celebrated here", emphasizing the need to preserve it.

"I hope this celebration will be kept up for over many and many years and tourist and people who are interested in Ethiopian culture will  be coming here to observe with their own eyes so that people will understand Ethiopia and its tradition, peoples` faith and Ethiopia`s religious aspects in a better manner”, he said.

"Preserving the heritage is crucial in that Ethiopia and its religious traditions will be understood by the rest of the world," he underscored.

UNESCO has inscribed Meskel, feast of the finding of the True Cross in which Jesus Christ was crucified, on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Ethiopian News Agency
2023