Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Churches and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches hold a Timket Epiphany ceremony. It falls on the 19th of January (or the 20th in a leap year), which is the 11th day of Terr in the Ge’ez calendar.
The Jordan River baptism of Jesus is commemorated by Timkat. This festival’s feature is a reenactment of baptismal rituals (similar to such reenactments performed by numerous Christian the Holy Land when they visit the Jordan).
During the Timkat ceremonies, the Tabot, an Ethiopian altar stone that represents the Ark of the Covenant (similar to the Western altar stone), is tenderly wrapped in rich fabric and carried in procession on the priest’s head. The Tabot, which is rarely seen by the general public, shows Jesus’ baptism as the Messiah at the Jordan. The Divine Liturgy is held early in the morning near a stream or pool (around 2 a.m.). As dawn approaches, the participants are blessed and sprinkled with water from a nearby body of water, with some of them entering the water and immersing themselves, symbolically confirming their baptismal vows.
