Ethiopian Epiphany with Exotic Ethiopian Adventures in Gondar

The Timket festival is one of the biggest celebrations on the Ethiopian calendar. The festival is built around the baptism of Jesus Christ, and is a national holiday in Ethiopia.?

The Timket Festival

The annual festival, meant to replicate?Christ’s baptism in the river Jordan, takes place on the 19th January (or the 20th in a leap year).?Timkat, also written as?Timket, literally translates to ‘baptism’.

The main festivities are usually held in the former?#EmperorFasiladesBathhouse , with smaller satellite celebrations?springing up across the land.

Weeks before the festivity begins, water around the castle city of?#Gondar ?is rerouted to the bathhouse, and the solitary structure sat in the centre of a bone dry pool, is?slowly submerged in water.

Gonder, one of the most significant historical cities in Ethiopia - and a spiritual hub of the country - is the?epicentre for the festivities.

Worshippers travel far and wide to attend. Ancient structures burst to life, and for a short while are?returned to their former glory.?

The atmosphere surrounding the site in anticipation for Timkat is palpable, and a?buzz can be felt?around the winding city roads and within the shanty style shacks spread across the city.?

The Festivities of Timket

As the day approaches and the pool fills, the?Tabot, a model of the?#ArkoftheCovenant , is delicately wrapped in rich cloths, in preparation for its procession to the bathhouse.

The Tabot is rarely seen by the laity, and is seldom removed from its?shire within the church.

Beginning at 2am, the clergy, adorned in a brightly coloured gown leads the procession towards the church for the divine liturgy. He commences celebrations by?blessing the bath house.

As dawn approaches and coral streaks spread across the sky, the priest dips his metal Aspergillum into the steamy water and sprinkles droplets of the (now blessed) holy water over the cohort gathered at his feet, while many?submerge their heads into the pool.

By noon, the sun sits high in the sky, and large crowds have assembled at the site to receive blessings. The congregation form a queue around the pool,?awaiting the priest's blessing.

At this point, the replica ark is escorted back and laid to rest for the remainder of the year. As traditional music fills the air, stoic worship is replaced with dancing, and the final celebration of the day?takes the form of a feast.?

Timket on the Plateaus

If you are looking for a truly unique way to experience the Timket festival, head into the mountains on foot or bike for a?few days off-road adventuring.?

Every year, we work with our partners to run a Timket trip up in the?highlands of rural Ethiopia, away from the hustle-and-bustle of the big cities.?

The trip is an excellent way to learn more about local life, discover some exceptional views, and?get the heart pumping! Enquire for details.?

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