Timket Holiday: The Cheerful and Beautiful Ethiopian Epiphany

Timket Holiday (Ethiopian Epiphany) is a special celebration in Ethiopia that happens every year on January 19th throughout Ethiopia to commemorate Jesus Christ's baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. Timket Holiday is an important and joyful celebration for all Ethiopians who are the followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

How is Timket celebrated?

The Epiphany commemoration begins on the eve of the main holiday, January 18th. The eve is referred to as Ketera (ከተራ), which means "stopping the flow of water for the blessing of the celebrants." 

On the day of Ketera, people accompany their local church’s tabot (ታቦት - replica of the Ark of the Covenant) to Timket-Bahir (a pool, river, or artificial reservoir), which is conveyed by a locality’s priest and escorted by a massive celebration of thousands of people. In my opinion following Meskel Holiday (The finding of the true cross), this is the most spectacular Ethiopian holiday. The number of people that attend Ketera is just astonishing, and it is the same on the main holiday as well. Almost everyone wears white. 

The women wear traditional clothes, and they add on top the usual traditional White chiffon cloth called Netela (ነጠላ). People contribute to the successful celebration of this holiday in every way they can. From providing monetary and material support to labor work, everyone is willing and happy to help. And when I say Everyone, I mean EVERYONE. That’s because it is considered a blessing to be of service to the church (God). 

After delivering the Tabot to the place where it will spend the night, a lot of people will remain there to spend the night with it. 

The participants spend the night praying and singing hymns, including the Eucharistic Liturgy. On the following day, January 19th, hundreds of thousands of people attend the actual festival. The festivities begin early in the morning with pre-sunrise ceremonies. 

Following this, the congregation is sprinkled with holy water and other rituals are done as well. Each Tabot resumes its parade back to its assigned church around 10 a.m., involving an even more colorful ritual with various traditional and religious songs. 

The holiday's vitality is assured by its continuing practice, with Orthodox clerics playing a critical role: they sing the praises dedicated to the ceremonies and hymns, carry the Ark, and preach important texts. Timket Holiday is significant to Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, who make up the majority of the country's population. 

The holiday is also important for the country's cultural heritage and traditions. It has been celebrated for centuries and is an integral part of Ethiopian culture. Timkat holiday is inscribed on the Representative List of Humanity by UNESCO in December 2019.

Related articles:

• Ethiopian Holidays Discussed In Chronological Order 
• Meskel Holiday - Celebrating the Finding of the True Cross