Meskel is a religious feast celebrated in Ethiopia and Eritrea on September 27 or 28, corresponding to the 17 Meskerem in the Ethiopian calendar. This feast commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by Queen Helena in the 4th century, following a legend in which she received a revelation in a dream that guided her to the cross's burial site. The celebration includes a Demera procession, where firewood is decorated with daisies before being lit to create a bonfire. Participants then collect the remaining charcoals to mark crosses on their foreheads, symbolizing their faith. Meskel is analogous to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross observed in other Christian traditions on September 14.