Timkat is an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Epiphany celebration and is the biggest and most colorful religious festival.  It marks the baptism of Jesus Christ in River Jordan. Timket is a three-day ceremony that starts on the 18th and runs on to the 20th of January which is dedicated to the Feast of St. Michael. Every year on the eve of Timkat 18 January called Ketera the Tabot the replica of the Ark of the Covenant is removed from every church, then wrapped in rich clothes and fine silks and borne in procession on the head of the priest.

The religious ceremony commences on the first day when Tabots are carried into a neighboring river or pool, surrounded by a bonfire and candlelight, in front of thousands of venerated eyes. The priests and devout would be holding a vigil around the Tabots that night. The Tabot symbolizes the Ark of the Covenant and the tablets containing the ten commandments that God handed to Mosses on Mount Sinai to serve as the core principles of humanity’s moral behavior.

Timkat is celebrated all over Ethiopia, but the largest and most magnificent ceremonies take place in Gonder, Ethiopia’s medieval capital. The priests traverse the streets with bright and richly decorated costumes and umbrellas, while the streets are festooned with green, red, and yellow depicting the Ethiopian flag.

The festive singing and dancing took place on the second day of Timkat, 19 January. Men have their heads bowed down, silently repeating their prayers, while ladies are down on their knees with their foreheads on the ground, dressed entirely in white with scarves over their heads. The mass continues until 7 a.m. when the sun has risen and daylight has arrived.

Priests, deacons, and even the Archbishop descend slowly to the poolside or river in preparation for the large re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s baptism. Following multiple statements from prominent church members, the Archbishop blesses the water with his holy cross. Immediately after the cross touches the water the pool or river becomes a riot of splashing water, shouting, and laughter as a crowd of hundreds jumps in, symbolically renewing their baptismal vows.