(Timket) Epiphany Celebration

Timket, Ethiopia’s Feast of the Epiphany, is one of the highest and holiest holidays in the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian calendar and is celebrated on 19th January every year. This year, as usual, it was celebrated in enthusiastic style with three days of the festival, beginning on the eve of Timket with awe-inspiring processions.
The word Timket, from the Ge’ez word Asteryo meaning “to reveal”, refers to the revelation associated with the Church’s theology which is the unity of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost during the baptism of Christ.
Ketera – 18th January
The celebration of Timket starts on the afternoon of 18th January, known as ’Ketera’, which refers to the making of a dam, as it is common to make a dam in places where there is no river water for the celebration of Timket. The “Tabot ” (replica of the Ark of the Covenant) is taken out of each church and borne aloft by high priests to the nearest river, lake, or pond where the communal baptism is to take place the next day.
The procession is attended by chanting and dancing crowds in dazzling white traditional dress, which contrasts with the colors of the ceremonial robes and sequined velvet umbrellas of the priests. The Tabots stay overnight near the water and ceremonies continue overnight.