Desalegn Wondimu joined a shoe retail business close to two decades ago as a retailer. He then opened a shop that sells traditional shoes in Merkato with 1,500 Br in capital six years ago.

In the beginning, he only had eight pairs of men's shoes. Over time, his stock has grown to 150 pairs of shoes at a time.

Business was good at that moment. Especially during holidays the demand for traditional shoes booms, doubling the flow of customers to Desalegn's shop. He sees a spike in sales. Epiphany is the best holiday for his business. Mesqel, the commemoration feast of the finding of the True Cross, follows.

However, over the past six months, the shoe retail business has been depressed. Like many other businesses, the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been a heavy enough disruption to paralyse the business.

During Mesqel, Desalegn has an average daily sales income of 3,500 Br, selling at least 10 pairs of shoes. This year, he received only a customer a day.

While celebrating Demera, where the burning of a large bonfire takes place in large gatherings on the eve of Mesqel, people tend to be costumed in traditional attire. Usually, the clothes are made of woven cotton, while the shoes, especially men's, are leather. The feast is held in Mesqel Square, named after the festival, which is currently undergoing a major facelift.

This year's holiday did not see a large, central gathering thanks to the pandemic. The government has banned public gatherings with the aim of curbing the spread of the virus.

The City Administration has restricted the number of attendees to just 5,000, only allowing church choirs and invited guests including government officials to attend the festival. Previously, the celebration, which was recently recorded by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage festival, was attended by tens of thousands of people.

"This year there is no demand at all,” Desalegn said.

In addition to random buyers, Desalegn sells his products to grooms or people who receive Communion, a sacrament ritual by the followers of the Christian religion.

Even before the onset of the pandemic, Desalegn has been struggling to stay afloat since his taxes were increased three years ago. He used to pay 400 Br a year, but that amount has jumped to 7,000 Br. His monthly rental fee has also spiked. Four years ago he was paying 400 Br for rent, but it shot up to 22,000 Br last year.

The pandemic has added fuel to the existing problems.

“This is the most depressing season I have ever seen throughout my time in this business,” he said.

Aklilu Gosaye, who retails traditional and modern leather shoes in Merkato, shares Desalegn's experience. During Mesqel, Aklilu used to sell at least five pairs of traditional shoes a week. But during this year’s Mesqel holiday, Aklilu was only selling one pair of traditional leather shoes a week.