Timket (Epiphany)

Occurring annually in Ethiopia on January 19th (or February 20th during leap years!) Timkat, also called Timket, is a festivity in the Orthodox Christian tradition in Ethiopia that commemorates the Epiphany. It commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and is most famous for its ceremonial recreation of the baptism event. Timket is observed in Ethiopia on January 11 according to the Ethiopian calendar (January 19 on the Gregorian calendar), following Ledet (Ethiopian Christmas) by two weeks, starting with vibrant processions and rituals on the Timket Eve and concluding on January 12 (January 20 Gregorian calendar). During Timket, Tella and Tej are made, a specific type of bread called “Himbash” (in Tigrigna) or “Ambasha” (in Amharic) is prepared, and sheep are slaughtered to commemorate the three-day festival.