Hundreds of choir members gather in the streets of Addis Ababa, singing and dancing. They are here to celebrate to the annual Meskel festival, held every year in September. Meskel, which means cross in the ancient language Ge'ez, commemorates the ancient discovery of a cross -- believed to be the one which Jesus was crucified. In Ethiopia, it's believed a part of the cross was brought from Jerusalem to Ethiopia via Egypt, giving the event a special significance in the country. This year, tourists from across the world thronged to the festival to join in the festivities. With its rich and ancient Orthodox Christian tradition, Kibrom Tesfay, a tourist guide believes festivals like Meskel should be promoted as one of Ethiopia's main tourist attractions. One of Africa's fastest growing economies, the Ethiopian government is planning to develop the tourism industry as part of its growth agenda. "The importance of the Meskel Festival is not only for Ethiopian Christians. For example, I have eighteen tourists and they use many services starting from the Ethiopian Airlines, Hotels, Car Rentals, Tourist Guides and the destinations. So, the economical benefit are for all Ethiopians. It also give the country a good image. So, I think we need to do more in order to promote and earn more income from Meskel," said Tesfay. Legend has it that the 'true cross' on which Jesus was killed was found by Queen Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine I, in the fourth century. "In order to find the cross that had been buried for a long time, Constantine's mother, Queen Helena travelled from Rome to Jerusalem and made a bonfire. The smoke from the bonfire lit up the sky showing where the cross was hidden. So the Queen started digging at that place and this what we commemorate in September," explained Memihir Menkir Haile, a religious teacher in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Meskel celebration includes a bonfire known as Demera, which acts as a symbol of the vision that showed Queen Helena the location of the cross. The fire, built several stories high is lit by priests carrying effigies of Christ and crosses on sticks. Its flames send sparks high into the night sky as the crowd sing and dance to the sound of traditional drums below. Emebet Hadgu came to Addis Ababa for the festival after living abroad for eight years. She says the festival holds a special place for many Orthodox Christians. "I grew up in church singing in the choir therefore I have a deep love for this ceremony and I came from abroad at this time mainly to attend this event and I can't tell you how happy I feel. The ceremony is just amazing, said Hadgu. Apart from its symbolism, Orthodox Ethiopians believe Meskel is a time of great sacrifice and the celebration of the cross brings enlightenment and hope. euronews discover is a window into the diversity of life around the globe, bringing you reports about nature, animals, travel and amazing events - every video is a destination. Where next? Subscribe to get our latest videos: http://bit.ly/R8LUvB Made by euronews, the most watched news channel in Europe.

• published: 30 Sep 2014
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