Timket (Ethiopian Epiphany)

According to the Ethiopian orthodox Tewahido church epiphany is one of the cornerstones of their believe. This is because if some who is not baptized in water in the name of the father, the son and the holly sprit shall not get in to the heaven. However this annual festival is not baptizing rather it is just to remember what Our Lord Jesus Christ has done in the river Jordan. But baptizing is done once in life time for male infant at his 40 days and for female infant at her 80 days. Therefore, this festival is celebrated in all of the Christian throughout the country colorfully in a river side attended with thousands of people dancing and accompanying the Holly Ark.

Timket, feast of Epiphany is the greatest festival of the year falling on the 19 January just two weeks after the Ethiopian Christmas. It is actually a three-day affair beginning on the eve of Timket with dramatic and colorful processions. The following morning the great day itself, Christ's baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist is commemorated. Since October and the end of the rains, the country has been drying up steadily. The sun blazes down from a clear blue sky and the festival of Timket always take place in glorious weather. Axum is the real place where you will attend the real Ark exhibition during the Timket Festival or else Gondar is another choice but more touristic and usually crowded even for normal accommodation.