Ethiopian religious festivity of Epiphany

Ethiopia’s Celebration of Epiphany – Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Timkat (Amharic: ጥምቀት T’imik’et, literally means “Baptism” and is the annual festivity of Epiphany in Ethiopia. It recreates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and is celebrated on January 19th (or 20th in a leap year).

In December 2019, the Ethiopian celebration of Epiphany was declared Intangible Cultual Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The commemoration starts on Ketera, the eve before the main festival on January 18th. In a colorful and solemn ceremony, parish priests all over the country, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of people, transport the church tabot (replica of the Ark of the Covenant) to a pool, river or artificial reservoir. People spend the night attending night-long prayers and hymn services, including the Eucharistic Liturgy.
On January 19th, the celebration starts early in the morning with pre-sunrise rituals. The body of water is blessed towards dawn and sprinkled on the participants, some of whom enter the water and immerse themselves, symbolically renewing their baptismal vows. At around 10 a.m., each tabot begins its procession back to its respective church, involving an even more colorful ceremony with various traditional and religious songs. When the holy ark has been safely restored to its dwelling-place, everyone goes home for feasting.
The viability of the element is ensured through its continued practice, with Orthodox clergies playing a pivotal role: they sing the praises dedicated to the rituals and hymns, carry the Ark, and preach relevant texts.

Images from:
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2017/jan/20/epiphany-ethiopia-timkat-festival-in-pictures
http://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/ethiopianepiphany-01491
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47894616