Ethiopian Epiphany

Timket is the second out door religious festivals colorfully recalled on the 19th of January or 20th in the leap year, The day commemorates Christ's baptism in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist. On the eve of the holiday, the sacred "Tabots" (the replica of Ark of the Covenants/Tabernacles) are temporarily taken out form every church in the country and carried to a River or any water body where they spend for one night with great processional accompanying. Early morning in the following day, high officials of the church, performs a vibrant Mass-service around the holy 'Tabots' then the Archbishop of the parish blesses the cistern and sprinkled water over the crowed, finally the attendees are allowned to swim or wash their body from the blessed water. As soon as the ceremony is over, all the Arks are carried back to their respective churches with similar dancing and chanting.

The True Cross

Ethiopia has two big open-air religious festivities effectuated by Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. Mescal Celebration is one among them and Commemorates the finding of the True cross in which Christ was nailed against. Queen Helena of Rome, mother of Constantinople commissioned the event in the 4th CAD, to unearth the cross from the place where it had been berried under. As a result, Ethiopia recalls this event on the 26/27 of September every year.

On the day of Meskel celebration, a big Bone Fire toped with Yellow-Dayassis flower cross is erected up at the center of public areas where people go together and attend the ceremony. In Addis Abeba, the feast is taking place at the main Meskel Square in which colorful processional dances of church Priests, Deacons and Choirs are underway starting mid day. Late in the evening, after a ritual prayer, High officials of the church and other invited guests are walking closer to the bone fire and torched it with wooden pyres. Then when the bonfire changed in to ashes, the crowed began to paint their body with it as to full fill their belief of the ash will heal them form the bone ache or other disease they suffer from.

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