Timkat

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title: "Timkat" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ethiopian-orthodox-tewahedo-church", "january-observances", "epiphany-(holiday)", "christian-festivals-and-holy-days", "intangible-cultural-heritage-of-humanity", "religious-festivals-in-ethiopia"] description: "Epiphany celebration at Orthodox Tewahedo Church" topic_path: "society/religion" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timkat" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Epiphany celebration at Orthodox Tewahedo Church ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Gondar_Fasiladas_Bath_Timket.jpg" caption="Epiphany]])."] ::

Timkat (Ge'ez: ጥምቀት T’imk’et) is an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church celebration of Epiphany. It is celebrated on 19 January (or 20 in a leap year), corresponding to the 11th day of Terr in the Ge'ez calendar.

Timkat celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. This festival is best known for its ritual reenactment of baptism (similar to such reenactments performed by numerous Christian the Holy Land when they visit the Jordan).

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Timkat_priests.jpg" caption="Ethiopian Tewahedo]] priests at a Timkat ceremony in Jan Meda."] ::

During the ceremonies of Timkat, the Tabot, a model of the Ark of the Covenant, which is present on every Ethiopian altar (somewhat like the Western altar stone), is reverently wrapped in rich cloth and borne in procession on the head of the priest. The Tabot, which is otherwise rarely seen by the laity, represents the manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah when he came to the Jordan for baptism. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated near a stream or pool early in the morning (around 2 a.m.). Then the nearby body of water is blessed towards dawn and sprinkled on the participants, some of whom enter the water and immerse themselves, symbolically renewing their baptismal vows. But the festival does not end there; Donald N. Levine describes a typical celebration of the early 1960s: ::quote List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity]].{{Cite web ::

Notes

References

1. Fuller, L.K.. (2004). "National Days/national Ways: Historical, Political, and Religious Celebrations Around the World". Praeger Publishers.
2. Levine, Donald N.. (2014). "Wax and Gold: Tradition and Innovation in Ethiopian Culture". University of Chicago Press.
3. "UNESCO - Ethiopian epiphany".

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