Meskel Promotes Unity, Integrity of Ethiopians, Says MoCU

Addis Ababa September 26/02018 The social values of Meskel holiday promote unity and integrity of the people of Ethiopia, according to Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCU). In an exclusive interview with ENA, Public and International Relations Director at the ministry, Gezahegn Abate, said the social values like helping one another, celebrating and dining together during the ceremony promote peace and unity. He added that Meskel preaches love, peace, unity and solidarity. “Meskel is our intangible UNESCO registered cultural heritage that has its own cultural values. Meskel is celebrated in different parts of the country within various cultural and traditional contexts. It has already become an event being frequented by tourists from abroad,” Gezahegn noted. He further pointed out that the ministry, in cooperation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, is working to develop facilities that increase tourist flow and transform the cherished traditional and religious values to the next generation. “The cultural and religious contexts of Meskel are inseparable. They are helping people in need, eating and drinking together, loving and forgiving one another as well as getting together. These are social values reflected during Meskel when peace and unity between people are promoted too,” the director elaborated. Addis Ababa Culture and Tourism Bureau Deputy Head, Seyoum Temesgen said the holiday does not belong only to Ethiopians but it is also a heritage of the world since it is registered at UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. Hence, promotion work must be done on face book, twitter, and other social media outlets or through any other digital technology to promote Meskel, thereby developing tourism in the country, he added. “It is time to replace traditional promotion system with modern technology. Digital technologies should be used to promote the tourism sector,” Seyoum stressed. Ethiopan Orthodox Tewahido Church General Manager, His Holiness Abune Deyoskoros told ENA that this Meskel will be the first holiday the two synods are celebrating together after two decades of separation. He noted that the division in the church was not religious but administrative. The unification of the two synods will therefore be a model for others. The church has maintained spiritual unity for more than two millenniums. “The synod outside Ethiopia and the synod inside Ethiopia will celebrate the holiday together for the first time. This will strengthen unity and boost the morale of the faithful. Spiritual unity of the church has continued for more than two millenniums and its base is very deep.” The General Manager stated that was the day the True Cross was found through the smoke of the bonfire that showed the place where the true cross was located during the reign of Queen Eleni of Israel.