Ethiopian Orthodox Christians celebrate Meskel, the feast of the Cross, as they pray for peace

Ethiopian Orthodox Christian faithfuls marching and singing during a religious festival known as “Meskel”.

Thousands of Ethiopians were gathered on Addis Ababa’s Meskel square Thursday (Sep. 26).

The festival celebrates the cross upon which Jesus was crucified, according to the church beliefs, and its recovery by Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine.

The religious holiday is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Festivities will continue until Friday (Sep. 27), a national holiday during which the faithful attend church services and share intimate moments with their families.

In celebrations of Meskel — a word in the local Amharic language for “cross” — bonfires are burned across the country.

In Meskel square Thursday, the patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church lit a large one in the presence of thousands of believers in white costumes.

Across Ethiopia, many gather in public squares and by churches to light similar bonfires from piles of logs, dry leaves and grass.

Prayers and religious ceremonies are followed by a feast of “kitfo,” a dish containing minced meat somewhat similar to steak tartare that’s savored as part of Meskel festivities.

According to the church’s beliefs, the festival celebrates the cross upon which Jesus was crucified and its recovery by Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine.

The story goes that Saint Helena had a revelation in a dream instructing her to light a bonfire and follow the smoke to find the cross buried in Jerusalem.

This year’s festival comes at a difficult time for Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country and one of the largest landlocked nations in the world.

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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s efforts to secure access to the sea via the semiautonomous Somali region of Somaliland have angered authorities in Somalia who see the move as an act of aggression.

At the same time, Ethiopia is at odds with Egypt over the large dam on the River Nile that authorities in Cairo say will diminish their share of much-needed Nile water.

This adds to the insurgency in the countries noth-western region of Amhara.

The disputes have raised tensions in the Horn of Africa in recent weeks.