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In ethiopia the Maskal festival is the second most important festival after the Timkat. The word Maskal means 'cross.' This festival is celebrated to commemorate the incident of finding out the original cross on which Jesus was crucified. This cross was found out by Helena the mother of the great Constantine. This event originally took place on 19th March, but presently the feast is celebrated in the month of September and the date on which it is celebrated is 27th.
The rituals that are observed during this festival are related to the legendary events of Queen Helena. The Maskal flowers are important for this festival which is used for decoration. The whole ceremony involves in praying for Empress Helena. The main initiative is to praise the Empress Helena for finding out the holy cross.The celebration of Maskal is also observe every year to usher devotion to the holy cross or the true cross that is placed in the mountain shrine of Gishen Mariam situated in the Welo region. A document named Tefut is found in this place which shows how the fragments of the true cross have been recovered.
On the day of the festival ritualistic practices take place and then in the evening merry makings take place. Gun salutes are also given in the air, the main event of the festival is to plant trees and flowers. Songs, dances and other events do take place to commemorate the great and unforgettable contribution of Empress Helena.
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