Addis Ababa: Tourists who witnessed the vibrant Demera celebration at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa said that they were captivated by the unique blend of religious and cultural elements and encouraged others to explore Ethiopia’s diverse tourist attractions.
Ethiopia boasts a remarkable heritage, with the highest number of tangible and intangible cultural elements in Africa recognized by UNESCO.
Meskel, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s largest open-air festival, is one such intangible heritage celebrated nationwide.
For Stina Berg Suide from Sweden, her first visit to Ethiopia and witnessed the Demera celebration was unforgettable experiences.
‘It’s my very first time in Ethiopia,’ she shared, adding, ‘I have passed by because you have a very big airport many times.’
Although Stina had used Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and Ethiopian Airlines for transit flights, she had never taken the opportunity to explore Ethiopia’s tourist destinations.
‘I’ve never been able to visit your beautiful country.
A friend of mine arranged this trip. She knows a lot about different African countries, and she loves Ethiopia. So she said ‘we had to come, and we had to come now’ to see this beautiful tradition and celebration. It’s really an honor for me to be here and to be able to see all this.I’m really excited to be here,’ Stina said.
While Christianity is the dominant religion in Sweden, Stina hadn’t experienced a similar celebration in her home country.
‘We don’t have the same kind of celebration. This is my first experience. We are also Christian in Sweden but we don’t have this. It’s really exciting, and I’m glad to see this. I’ve never seen such a big celebration of this kind about the Cross. It’s really beautiful and it’s a real pleasure,’ she observed.
Beyond the religious aspects, the cultural dimensions of Maskel, including the traditional white attire worn by the clergy and sunday school students and the faithful has impressed Stina. She believes such shared cultural practices can contribute to national u
nity.
‘It’s a beautiful thing that you see people dress up in the same style and we love these beautiful things (the traditional white attire). It’s beautiful. And I think it really unites people to dress the same way and to have celebrations where you can share and unite, so you can see behind all differences, but you celebrate together. And I think that is love and that is good,’ she noted.
Mark Blood, a tourist from New Zealand, also visited Ethiopia for the first time with his family.
‘We’re on day seven of the tour, and we’re here at the Maskel celebration, seeing it for the first time and really enjoying it…Now, this is the first time in Ethiopia, first time we come to Ethiopia, first time we’ve seen the ceremony. So it’s all new. We’re just learning about it right now. So, so yeah, but really impressed to shame about the weather. But hey, it’s the holy water coming down.’
He expressed admiration for the country’s preservation of its religious traditions.
‘As a visitor, I think it’s really clear th
at Ethiopia has a very long history, and it’s kept its culture throughout that history, and not many countries have actually done that. That’s one of the most important things about the people they are religious and they respect the priests and everything.’
He encouraged others to visit Ethiopia.
Ilse Dehanoschutter from Belgium had long desired to experience the Maskel celebration and had visited various parts of Ethiopia.
“Maskel celebration has been on my list for a long time because I’ve heard a lot about it. It’s very impressive, nice celebration, and very nice when you see the people praying, chanting, and everything,” she explained.
She particularly enjoyed the large-scale gathering during the festival.
“What I can say to tourists is that Ethiopia is a must visit country for cultural sites, also for the religious celebrations. You have this Maskel, you have Timket (Epiphany). People should just come over here and witness themselves,” she urged.
These international visitors’ positive experiences a
nd recommendations highlight Ethiopia’s unique cultural heritage and its potential to attract more tourists.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency