Timket or Epiphany—baptism of Jesus Christ

Epiphany, Timket- in local language, is one the most colorful and hugely significant religious festival in Ethiopia. It is celebrated on January 19 every year and it is almost nationwide ceremony. Timket literary meaning Baptism and the ceremony is all about commemorating the Baptism of Jesus Christ in River Jordan.

The Christian faithful will happily involve in ceremony by fully dressing white and accompany the ‘Ark of Covenant’ on its journey to the nearby water body or predesigned Water Pool where the water will be blessed and sprinkled over the participants. This is one big opportunity for the Christians to come closer to the Ark of the Covenant as it will be carried by the guardian priest from the Church all the way down to the predetermined place for overnight.

In the morning, the Ark of the Covenant will return to the church in the most enjoyable and respected manner where the people sing and dance behind and in front of it. It is a huge mix of culture, religion and wisdom. The town Gondar in the Northern Ethiopia has 44 churches in and around the area, Timket has special flavor in Gondar than other towns but the center of the celebration is similar all over the country.

Apart from the religious significance, Timket is generally regarded as freedom of children and boys and girls have the chance to hookup and make relation: Watch out for Lemon throwing, a typical way of hooking each other.

We have specially designed tours to the most colorful places for this special occasion.