Timket celebration (2024)
In Ethiopia, thousands, if not millions, gathered in Addis Ababa to celebrate the historic baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. The holiday, called Timket, is an Orthodox Christian holiday, as all Ethiopian holidays are, but that also means that these holidays have the deep reverance of the city and in turn, an extravagant and magnificent celebration.
Multiple choirs with embroidered clothing make their way down the streets chanting and singing in unison. Church hymns truly never sounded so festive. Priests, deacons, and musicians beating on drums make their way down as well, preparing the way for the ‘Tabot’ to arrive, a replica of the Arc of the Covenant that priests carry from churches all throughout Addis. It is believed that the presence of God dwells there.
All the church members from all the churches in Addis meet in an area called Janmeda, where they spend all night in prayer. People arrive early in the morning the next day to be sprayed with water that has been prayed over, expecting to be spiritually cleansed by it. The Tabots then make their way through the city to arrive back in the churches they came from surrounded by extravagance and the beauty of the afternoon.