Ethiopian Epiphany, also known as the Timket holiday, is celebrated on January 19th (20th in leap years). It honors the Jordan River baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. This is not the same as the Epiphany celebrated by Western Christian churches, which commemorates the visitation of the Three Wise Men on January 6th to honor the revelation of Jesus as the son of God. One of these, Balthazar, is thought to have been a Bazen monarch from Ethiopia. Axum is where his grave is located. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s largest holiday of the year is Timket. The ideal places for tourists to enjoy the celebration are said to be Gondar or Lalibela. But Axum and Addis Ababa are also doing nicely. The event, called Ketera, begins in the afternoon before the main festivities. The Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, is being removed from the Makdas (holy of holiest) by the priests. The festival’s main location a lake, pond, or river is reached by a colorful parade. Along the route, many processions with the Tabots will unite. The parade is being followed by throngs that are chanting and dancing. The Tabots spend the night close to the lake, where rites and festivities are held. The Bath of Fasilidas is the primary celebration location in Gondar. At the Queen of Sheba’s Bath in Axum.
