Photos of Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers celebrating Meskel in Jerusalem

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JERUSALEM (AP) — Ethiopian Orthodox Christian worshippers gathered at Deir al-Sultan, the Ethiopian monks’ village on the rooftop of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, on Saturday to celebrate the eve of Meskel. Dressed in traditional white, they sang, prayed, played instruments and held candles before gathering around a large bonfire.

Meskel, meaning “cross” in Amharic, commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by St. Helena in the fourth century, according to church tradition. The bonfire recalls the belief that Helena was guided to the cross’s location by smoke rising from a fire.