“Timket” is a Ge’ez word meaning “immersion in water” similar to the Baptism of Jesus Christ. The word also denotes epiphany which is driven from the Greek word epiphaneia meaning “appearance”. Ethiopia’s most colourful holiday is held on the 19 of January or 20^th on leap year, to celebrate the baptism of Christ in the river Jordan by John Baptist.

Ethiopia’s most colourful holiday begins on the eve of Timket known as Ketera, the Tabot from of every church a model of the Ark of the Covenant, reverently wrapped in brocade or velvet cloth and borne in procession on the head of the priest and carried out to a place near a stream or pool where the next day’s celebration will take place. A special tent is set up for every Tabot, each hosting a proud manner depicting the church’s saint. The ceremony is accompanied by hymns and chanting of the priests, drums beat, bell ringing and blowing of trumpets.

The priests pray throughout the night and mass are performed around 2 AM. Processional crosses of varying size and elaboration as well as various Ethiopian artefacts’ can be seen on the occasion. The next morning (19Jan) around dawn ecclesiastics and believers go to the water and attend the praying. A senior priest dips a golden processional cross in the water to bless it and extinguishes a consecrated candle in it. Then holy water sprinkles on the people in commemoration of Christ’s baptism.

By noon on Timket Day a large crowd has assembled at the ritual site, and the Holy Ark is escorted back to its church in colorful procession and festivities. The clergy, bearing robes and umbrellas of many hues, perform rollicking dances and songs; the elders march solemnly with their weapons, attended by middle-ages men singing a long-drawn, low-pitched haaa hooo; and the children run about with sticks and games. Dressed up in their finest, the women chatter excitedly on their one real day of freedom in the year. The young braves leap up and down in spirited dances, tirelessly repeating rhythmic songs. When the holy ark has been safely restored to its dwelling-place, everyone goes home for feasting.

The next day (20 January) is the feast of the Archangel Michael, Ethiopia’s most popular saint. This morning, his Tabot is returned to his church, again accompanied by singing and dancing of priests. This marks the end of the three-day celebration.

Timket is celebrated throughout the country and many consider Gondar to host the best experience: Its 17th-century pool, surrounding one of the city’s many historical palaces, holds just the right amount of history or in Lalibela, or Addis Ababa.