In the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches, the feast of Meskel, which commemorates her discovery of the cross, is celebrated on 17 Meskerem in the Ethiopian calendar (September 27, Gregorian calendar, or on 28 September in leap years). The holiday is usually celebrated with the lighting of a large bonfire, or Demera, based on the belief that she had a revelation in a dream. She was told that she should make a bonfire and that the smoke would show her where the true cross was buried. So she ordered the people of Jerusalem to bring wood and make a huge pile. After adding frankincense to it, the bonfire was lit and the smoke rose high up to the sky and returned to the ground, exactly to the spot where the Cross had been buried.
In the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches the feast of Meskel which commemorates her discovery of the cross is celebrated on 17 Meskerem in the Ethiopian calendar (September 27 Gregorian calendar or on 28 September in leap years) The holiday is usually celebrated with the lighting of a large bonfire or Demera based on the belief that she had a revelation in a dream She was told that she should make a bonfire and that the smoke would show her where the true cross was buried So she ordered the people of Jerusalem to bring wood and make a huge pile After adding frankincense to it the bonfire was lit and the smoke rose high up to the sky and returned to the ground exactly to the spot where the Cross had been buried