Timket Festival

Timket Festival

Celebrating Timket,Ethiopia’s most colorful holiday of the year.

Timket is the greatest colorful festival of Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia. The festival of Timket falls on January 20. It is observed in commemoration of Jesus Christ’s baptism in River Jordan. Timket is a two-day affair and all the ceremonies are conducted with great pomp.

The procession looks more like a noisy, undulating party, with thousands of people pressed shoulder to shoulder for miles. But it’s a slow party. To the crowded conditions, add the holy, ceremonial laying-down of rugs upon which the priests will step as they carry the tabots.

Each church’s high priest is swathed in colorful robes, with the tabot concealed in more layers of fabric high atop his head. He’s surrounded by other richly clothed priests, all protected from the beating sun by spectacularly embroidered umbrellas.

Itinerary

Celebrating Timket ! Ethiopia’s most colorful holiday of the year.
Timket is the greatest colorful festival of Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia. It is observed in commemoration of Jesus Christ’s baptism in River Jordan. Timket is a two-day affair and all the ceremonies are conducted with great pomp.

Highlighs:

- Half day city tour of Addis. The sightseeing of Addis includes visiting the National Museum and Entoto Hill Top to enjoy the panoramic view of Addis.
- Attend the colorful procession of Epiphany festival or “Ketera”. This is when the Tabots of each church are carried out in procession to a river or pool of water where the next day's celebration will take place. A special tent is set up where each Tabot rests as members of the church choirs chant hymns. This is accompanied by a special dance by the priests with their prayer sticks and sistera, the beating of drums, ringing of bells, and blowing of trumpets.
- main day for the celebration of the Ethiopian Epiphany and you will have a chance to attend the sprinkling of the blessed holy water in remembrance of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the river Jordan in the hands of John.

Stop At:

• Entoto Hill, Addis Ababa Ethiopia
• Entoto Maryam Church, North Shewa, Addis Ababa Ethiopia
• National Museum of Ethiopia, King George VI Street, Addis Ababa Ethiopia
• Chiromeda Market, Toward Entoto Hill, Addis Ababa Ethiopia