HIDAR ZION - (Celebration of St. Mary November 28th & 29th)

The Virgin is one of the most venerated of all religious figures in Ethiopia. About 33 days are annually dedicated to different celebrations in the commemoration of Mary. "Hidar Zion" is associated with the presence of the Ark of the Covenant in Axum and the belief that the Ark itself is a symbolism to her womb.This festival is attended by tens of thousands of people from all over Ethiopia making it one of the most joyous annual pilgrimages in Axum, the "sacred city of the Ethiopians."