Demera: the Building of huge Bonfire

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Kassa Nigus – Mahibere Kidusan– September 2016

The term Demera is coined from Ge’ez verb to mean ‘unity, gathering…’ to describe the collection of woods to make bonfire. Community elders come to the arena, called Meskel Square holding of single woods to build Demera bonfire on the eve of Meskel (Finding of the True Cross).

However, through time the word ‘Demera’ broadened its meaning and acquired additional uses and today it represents every ritual performed on the eve of the anniversary of Meskel (Finding of the True Cross) across the nation known as ‘Demera’.

The day after Demera is Meskel, the festival of finding of the true cross on the 17 Meskerem in the Ethiopian calendar (September 27, Gregorian calendar, or on 28 September in leap years). The festival coincides with the mass blooming of Meskel daisies, which are symbolic of an ushering in of a New Year after the Ethiopian rainy season, 16 days after the Ethiopian New Year set in.

Some days before the holiday, shepherds of every household prepares banquette of flame (equal to the number of household members) from selected trees used to torch the Demera bonfire and distributes it to every members of the community.

Meskel is celebrated in memory of the finding of the true cross which honors the memory of the bonfire of the Queen Elleni and her discovery of the site of the Cross and the beginning of the excavation of the site around 330 AD.

During the eve of Meskel, every household in rural areas of the country, farmers, collect the newly matured crops such as sorghum and maize,  from their fields  and distribute it, first to their father confessor and then to neighbors; then, to people in need. As this is a harvest season in Ethiopian Calendar it becomes a colorful streak to the celebration. The eve is a joyful night where believers’ hearts becomes filled with brightness, happiness, generosity, love and reflect brotherly bond with one another.

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