☩ Timk(Q)et – ጥምቀት በዓል – “Baptism” ☩

Greetings in the name of His & Her Imperial Majesties Qedamawi Haile Sellassie I & Itege Menen Asfaw,

I welcome you all to again to Ras Tafari Renaissance Revelations, for the Ethiopic celebration of Timk(Q)et. Timket, is the Ethiopian-Christian celebration in a symbolic manner of “Baptism” or “Epiphany.” Today, Ethiopian/Eritrean Orthodox (Tewahedo/ Tewahido) Christians will be celebrating the feast of Timkat, deemed by some as the most important holiday for the Ethopian Orthodox faithful. TimQat usually begins on January 19th and is usually celebrated for three days.

Celebrated on the 10th day of the (ወርኀ)month of T’ir (ጥር), it commemorates the Adoration of the Magi, who followed the Star of the East, & the Baptism of Christ.
In other references Epiphany, this specific celebration commemorated the wedding at Cana, also.

[see Mrk chpt.2; Jhn chpt.2]

In the Ethiopian Orthodox-Tewahedo Church, it is the most important festival in the year, seeing as how the Tabot – ታቦት, or the representation of the Ark of the Covenant is wrapped in priestly cloth and lead in procession for a reenactment of the Baptism of Christ, in the Jordan River.

Many Eastern Orthodox Christians have various celebrations, rites, an rituals for the feast day, as well. One of the most noticeable acts are sights, of priests processing through the prospective municipalities with replicas of the Ark of the Covenant. This gesture is mores seen and been recorded in Erirtea/Ethiopia; symbolically reenacting the before Baptism of Christ at the Jordan.

Russian icon of the Theophany (Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, 1497).

The Divine Liturgy is recited and celebrated near a stream or pool, early in the morning (approx 2 a.m., by the priesthood & some of the devout). Then the nearby body of water is blessed towards dawn, and sprinkled on the participants, some of whom enter the water and immerse themselves, as the old tradition carries; symbolically renewing their Baptismal vows.