Timkat (Amharic: ጥምቀት T’imik’et, literally "Baptism"; also spelled Timqat) is the Orthodox Tewahedo celebration of Epiphany. It is celebrated on January 19th (or 20th in a leap year), corresponding to the 11th day of Terr in the Ethiopian 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).
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.
In Gondar, the three-day affair starts (as it will later end) with smaller ceremonies at eight different churches. Then, eight colorful parades of choirs and priests — accompanied by Gondar’s entire population, it seems — begin blending like a river’s tributaries until they meet at the piazza. Their final destination is Fasiladas’ Bath, about 2 kilometers away.
UNESCO inscribed Timkat (Ethiopian Epiphany) in 2019 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Fasiladas’ Bath, Gondar, Ethiopia
Source: Timkat - Wikipedia