SUNDAY, JANUARY 19: Hues of richness and depth, velvet fabrics and golden embroideries complement the landscape in Ethiopia today, during one of the grandest festivals of the year: Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian ceremony commemorating the baptism of Jesus.
As the countryside’s rolling hills are blooming with yellow spring flowers, pilgrims and priests dress in their finest clothing and form a procession that weaves through the rock-hewn churches and age-old passageways of Ethiopia. Central to the processions are models of the Ark of the Covenant (called tabots), carried by priests with caution and pride. To Ethiopian Christians, the tabot signifies the manifestation of Jesus as the Savior, when he came to the Jordan River to be baptized.
NEWS 2025: Though last year’s Timkat events were subdued due to conflict in the Ethiopian city of Gondar, city administration has announced that Gondar has ‘returned to its peaceful state,’ and welcomes visitors and tourists for the Ethiopian Epiphany. (Read more here.)
Timkat events begin on Timkat eve, when the tabots are ceremoniously wrapped in cloth and carried by priests in a procession. In the earliest morning hours, while the sky is still dark, crowds gather near bodies of water to witness a blessing of the waters—a reenactment of the baptism of Christ. Crowds are sprinkled with water, and baptismal vows are renewed. When all rituals are complete, pilgrims return home for feasts and continued celebrations.
Did you know? Ethiopia is home to more UNESCO sites than any other country in Africa. In December 2019, UNESCO inscribed Timkat on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Interested to learn more?
Read a message from UNESCO on Timkat, here.
GM Today recommends Timkat as one element of “A Year of Wild Human Experiences.” Check out the article, here.
Read more information about the “Ethiopian Epiphany” from UNESCO, here.