Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church celebrates the annual feast day of St. George

Today the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church celebrates the annual feast day of St. George. Today marks the martyrdom of this Saint. St. George is a very popular Saint in Ethiopia. He is one of patron saints of the country, as well as it’s military, and the Imperial family. His image was on the Emperor’s standard, on the front of the Emperor’s crown, and a mosaic mural of him decorated the front of Ethiopia’s parliament building until it was painted over during the rule of the Marxist Derg.

Addis Ababa’s oldest Cathedral where Empress Zewditu was crowned in 1916 and Emperor Haile Selassie was crowned in 1930 is the Cathedral of Saint George. The most famous of Lalibella’s 11 churches which are carved from solid rock is the cross shaped Bete Giorgis (House of St. George). Most of our western friends celebrated St. George a few days back due to the difference between the western and Ethiopian calendars. St. George is the patron saint of several other countries, and institutions, and is a widely revered Saint.

To celebrate this revered Saint, here is a traditional Ethiopian image of him located in Gondar’s Debre Birhan Selassie (Holy Trinity Mountain of Light) church built by Emperor Iyasu II and his mother Empress Mentewab.

Happy St. George’s Day’

Source: OCP News Service