Timket 2027: January 19

What is Timket?

Timket (ጥምቀት, “baptism”) celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. It is the most colourful festival of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo churches and a public holiday in Ethiopia. In 2019 UNESCO added Ethiopian Epiphany to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Why January 19, and sometimes January 20?

Timket is fixed on Tir 11 in the Ethiopian calendar. That is January 19 in most years. In the year after an Ethiopian leap year, the Ethiopian calendar is one day further ahead until the end of February, so Tir 11 falls on January 20. The dates table above shows which years are affected.

Ketera: the eve of Timket

The celebration starts on Tir 10, called Ketera. Priests carry each church’s tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant wrapped in rich cloth, on their heads in a procession to a river, lake or pool. Crowds follow with singing, drums and colourful umbrellas. The tabots rest in tents overnight while people keep vigil. Many fast on Ketera (the Gahad of Timket).

Timket day

At dawn on Tir 11, priests bless the water and sprinkle it over the crowd, and many people go into the water to renew their baptismal vows. In Gondar, the ceremony is held at the pool of Fasilides’ Bath; in Addis Ababa, the biggest gathering is at Jan Meda. In the afternoon the tabots are carried back to their churches with even more singing and dancing.

Kana Zegelila

The day after Timket, Tir 12, is Kana Zegelila, the feast of the wedding at Cana. In many places the tabot of St. Michael returns to its church on this day, so the festivities continue for a third day.

Timket abroad

Diaspora churches in cities like Washington DC, London, Stockholm and Toronto hold their own Timket processions, often on the nearest weekend, sometimes with a blessed water tank instead of a river.