Category: Events and Festivals

Timket is the greatest festival of orthodox Christians in Ethiopia. Falling on the 19 of January (or the 20 of January once in every four years), it celebrates the baptism of Christ in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. It’s a three-day affair and all the ceremonies are conducted with great pomp. The eve of Timket (18 January) is called Ketera. On this day the tabots of each church are carried out in procession to a place near a river where the next day’s celebration will take place. A special tent is set up for each tabot, each hosting a proud manner depicting the church’s saint. The ceremony is accompanied by hymns and dances of the priests, drum beating, bell ringing and blowing of trumpets.
A tabot is a replica of the Arc of the Covenant and the ten tablets of the law which Moses received on Mount Sinai. It is the tabot rather than the church building, which is consecrated, and it is accorded extreme relevance.The priests pray throughout the night and mass is performed around 2 AM. Processional crosses of varying size and elaboration as well as various Ethiopian artifacts can be seen on the occasion. When the tabot is carried out, it is wrapped in brocade or velvet and carried on the head of a priest with colorful ceremonial umbrellas to shade it.

The next morning (19Jan) around dawn ecclesiastics and believers go to the water and attend the praying. A senior priest dips a golden processional cross in the water to bless it and extinguishes a consecrated candle in it. Then he sprinkles the water on the people in commemoration of Christ’s baptism.

Many believers leap fully dressed into the water to renew their vows. Timket Krestos – baptism of Christ – is merely a commemoration, not an annual rebaptism. After the baptism the tabots of each church, except St. Michael’s church, start their way back to their respective churches. The elders walk solemnly, accompanied by singing, leaping of priests and young men and beating of prayer sticks in an ancient ritual.

The next day (20 January) is the feast of the Archangel Michael, Ethiopia’s most popular saint. This morning, his tabot is returned to his church, again accompanied by singing and dancing of priests. This marks the end of the three-day celebration. The best place to attend the event is Lalibela, Gondar or Addis Ababa. In Addis Ababa many tents are pitched at Jan Meda, in the northeast part of the city. Crowds with lit oil lamps attend the mass at 2 AM.

For people brought up in the northern hemisphere, Christmas is traditionally associated with the snow and ice of winter. In the southern hemisphere and equatorial regions, of course, the festival is held in much warmer weather. But snow or sun, people of many nations has celebrated Christmas yet again, although not necessarily on the same day. The Gregorian calendar celebrates Christmas on the 25th of December while Ethiopian Christmas falls on January the 7th – a hot summer’s day – , since Ethiopia uses still the Julian calendar. While excitement over Christmas festivities dies down in other parts of the world in Ethiopia it is just beginning.
The Ethiopian name for Christmas is Genna, which comes from the word Gennana (eminent) and expresses the coming of the Lord to free mankind of its sins. Genna is also the name of a hockey-like game which is said to have been played by the shepherds when they heard of the birth Christi. Men and boys in villages now play the traditional Genna game with great enthusiasm in the late afternoon of the Christmas day – a spectacle much enjoyed by village communities and elders. Genna begins early in the day, around 6 AM, when people gather in churches for mass.

The clergy prepares for the birth of Christ by fasting for 43 days, also known as the fast of the prophets. During Christmas service they lift their voices in hymn and chant just as it has been done for over a thousand years when Ethiopia accepted Christianity. Everyone stands throughout the service. This ancient rite culminates in the spectacular procession of the Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which is carried on top of a priest’s head. The procession makes its way three times around the church amidst ululation, chiming church bells and dazzling umbrellas followed by a throng of Christians with lighted candles. After mass, people go to their homes to feast. Food and drink is plentiful. Many homes prepare Doro Wat, a spicy chicken stew eaten with the sourdough pancake-like bread called ingera. Often Tej, a local wine-like drink made from honey, accompanies the feast.

Christmas is quietly shared and celebrated in groups of friends and family. Gift giving is a very small part of Christmas festivities in Ethiopia. Only small gifts are exchanged amongst family and friends at home. But one gift most eagerly awaited by all children is a new outfit that they wear with pride and joy on Christmas day. The festive mood continues until the late hours of the evening.

However, there is something special that endures long past the sun-drenched day of Ethiopian Christmas. The sparkle of joy, giving and sharing, extends beyond religious beliefs and spreads the spirit of peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind throughout the world.

For people brought up in the northern hemisphere, Christmas is traditionally associated with the snow and ice of winter. In the southern hemisphere and equatorial regions, of course, the festival is held in much warmer weather. But snow or sun, people of many nations has celebrated Christmas yet again, although not necessarily on the same day. The Gregorian calendar celebrates Christmas on the 25th of December while Ethiopian Christmas falls on January the 7th – a hot summer’s day – , since Ethiopia uses still the Julian calendar. While excitement over Christmas festivities dies down in other parts of the world in Ethiopia it is just beginning.
The Ethiopian name for Christmas is Genna, which comes from the word Gennana (eminent) and expresses the coming of the Lord to free mankind of its sins. Genna is also the name of a hockey-like game which is said to have been played by the shepherds when they heard of the birth Christi. Men and boys in villages now play the traditional Genna game with great enthusiasm in the late afternoon of the Christmas day – a spectacle much enjoyed by village communities and elders. Genna begins early in the day, around 6 AM, when people gather in churches for mass.
The clergy prepares for the birth of Christ by fasting for 43 days, also known as the fast of the prophets. During Christmas service they lift their voices in hymn and chant just as it has been done for over a thousand years when Ethiopia accepted Christianity. Everyone stands throughout the service. This ancient rite culminates in the spectacular procession of the Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which is carried on top of a priest’s head. The procession makes its way three times around the church amidst ululation, chiming church bells and dazzling umbrellas followed by a throng of Christians with lighted candles. After mass, people go to their homes to feast. Food and drink is plentiful. Many homes prepare Doro Wat, a spicy chicken stew eaten with the sourdough pancake-like bread called ingera. Often Tej, a local wine-like drink made from honey, accompanies the feast.
Christmas is quietly shared and celebrated in groups of friends and family. Gift giving is a very small part of Christmas festivities in Ethiopia. Only small gifts are exchanged amongst family and friends at home. But one gift most eagerly awaited by all children is a new outfit that they wear with pride and joy on Christmas day. The festive mood continues until the late hours of the evening.
However, there is something special that endures long past the sun-drenched day of Ethiopian Christmas. The sparkle of joy, giving and sharing, extends beyond religious beliefs and spreads the spirit of peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind throughout the world.

Fasika (Easter) is celebrated after 55 days severe Lent fasting (Hudade or Abye Tsome). Orthodox Tewahedo Christians do not eat meat and diary products for the whole 55 days. Vegetarian meals such as lentils, ground split peas, grains, fruit and varieties of vegetable stew accompanied by injera and/or bread are only eaten on these days. The fist meal of the day is taken after 3 PM (9 o’clock in the afternoon Ethiopian time) during the fasting days, except Saturdays and Sundays, where a meal is allowed after the morning service.
On Easter eve people go to church and celebrate with candles which are lit during a colourful Easter mass service which begins at about 6 PM (12 o’clock in the evening Ethiopian time) and ends at about 2 AM (8 o’clock after mid-night Ethiopian time). Everyone goes home to break the fast with the meat of chicken or lamb, slaughtered the previous night after 6 PM, accompanied with injera and traditional drinks (i.e. tella or tej). Like Christmas, Easter is also a day of family re-union, an expression of good wishes with exchange of gifts (i.e. lamb, goat or loaf of bread).

Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) falls on September 1 Ethiopian calendar (September 11 Gregorian Calendar) at the end of the Ethiopian rain season and is called Enkutatash. September 1 is also celebrated to mark the commemoration of Saint John the Baptist. Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) is not only a religious holiday but it also a day for young boys and girls to sing and dance and for exchanging New Year greetings among urban and rural inhabitants.