15/01/2015
One of the most breathtaking street festivals of Ethiopia, Timket (Ethiopian Epiphany) falls every January 19, just in the post harvest season. The festivity is among the most celebrated and colourful ones, people commonly say 'le Teamket Yealhone Kemis Yeabetats' this is to mean every faithful is be expected to be dressed up with neat clothes on this day. The majority of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido church followers plan their occasions in this month: Wedding, family gatherings and so on are common as January is not fasting period.
The celebration outsets with eve celebration called Ketera, meaning to make ponds as people in the earlier times used to do to get enough water for the sprinkling of holy water as a symbol of Christ's baptism in the River Jordan. In the afternoon of same day, the arches of covenant found in each church are taken to a nearby barn carried on head by priests to stay the night there. Sunday school choirs in their uniform make queue in front of the covenant roaring their drums and singing various songs that praises Jesus, his baptism in the hands of John the Baptist at the River Jordan. The festivity goes in every place across the country but the grand ones occur at North Addis Ababa, Janmeda and in the historic town Gonder, North Ethiopia.
Apart from its religious value Timket has also become a mass festivity almost to everyone. The ritual system and the ceremony are one of the oldest in the world. The celebration that goes in Gondar- has a great magnetic effect in attracting a profound number of tourists to the nation. As a result of that, a significant number of tourists from various corners of the globe, pilgrim to be part of this colourful festivity in Gondar. The town also makes every sort of preparations for the festival in advance. Youngsters campaign to clean the town’s roads that take to the old castles and decorate the town with flags. Residents in their traditional costumes accompany the Tabotes (archs of covenant), singing religious songs and walk to the grand swimming pool built in the 16th century, where all the arks of covenant spend the night.
On this year's celebration of Timket as usual, on the day of Ketera, the arches of the covenant taken to their barns, Artistic works of youngsters graced the events. Decorated cartridges depicting the religious value of the ceremony grabbed the attention of many in the procession. Many of the arks of covenant in the city gathered near the gate of the grand castle of Fasiledes. The arches of the covenant pass through many places including a square where the stature of emperor Twodros is seen erected. Not too far from the Fasiledes castle, there lies a big compound. This grand swimming pool, which is found inside the castle needs two months to be filled with enough water from the nearest river. Three big wooden made stages are standing circling the palace at opposite corners where lots of audiences sit on them so that they can have the clear view of all the events. The ketera celebration in Gondar lasts till mid night accompanied by different religious activities.
Usually Timket celebration begins at 10 pm at night time and if you are a guest to the city, you should come to the castle earlier or you will miss the better sight since many of the church followers reach there before ten. The prayers continue till morning. The main event begins early in the morning after honourable guests, bishops and many others arrived at the castle. The baptizing process started after the bishop said the prayer: It is amazing and very entertaining to see young men waiting in line to be the first to jump into the pool as soon as the bishop finishes the prayer.
Accompanying the ark of covenants people sing, chant religious and cultural songs and make different cultural plays while on their way back to church. The celebration continues until 11 pm (after mid day) local time with different programmes and events even after the ark of covenants go back to their respective churches.
Cultural or religious ceremonies mostly have their own unique colours, ways of celebration or clothing styles. Gondar’s epiphany is one of those with the oldest way of cultural celebration and clothing styles. For instance, one can see the different costumes; adults prefer the cultural ones while young men and women the fashionable ones. For instance, the oldest clothing style known as Tenefanef or Bolale originally worn by men has now become modified and it is the number one preference among youngsters. Generally speaking, Gondar’s way of celebrating epiphany worth more attention than it is now given.
