how do Ethiopia celebrate Epiphany

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Epiphany, also known as Timket, is a major festival celebrated by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. The celebration begins on the eve of the main festival, January 18th, which is known as Ketera. On this day, people escort their parish church tabot (replicas of the Ark of the Covenant) to Timkete-Bahir (a pool, river or artificial reservoir), transported by a priest of the parish and accompanied by a great ceremony. 

The people spend the night attending night-long prayers and hymn services, including the Eucharistic Liturgy. The following day, January 19th, hundreds of thousands of people participate in the actual festival. The celebration starts early in the morning with pre-sunrise rituals. These are followed by the sprinkling of the blessed water on the congregation, as well as other ceremonies. 


At around 10 a.m., each tabot begins its procession back to its respective church, involving an even more colourful ceremony with various traditional and religious songs ¹.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 1/20/2024
(1) Ethiopian epiphany - intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/ethiopian-epiphany-01491.
(2) Epiphany | Definition, Holiday, Origin, & Observances | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Epiphany.
(3) Timkat - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timkat.