{"id":1938,"date":"2022-01-19T10:00:37","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T10:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/?p=1938"},"modified":"2022-01-17T15:10:53","modified_gmt":"2022-01-17T15:10:53","slug":"the-ethiopia-timkat-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2022\/01\/19\/the-ethiopia-timkat-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ethiopia Timkat Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"timkat

Source<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The Timkat Festival<\/h2>\n

Christmas is a distant memory for most of us, but for Ethiopians, Christmas is a whole season that\u2019s just coming to an end now. Ethiopia was one of the first countries in the world to adopt Christianity, and as such it adheres to the ancient traditions that sit at the heart of its Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Timkat<\/a>, celebrated every year on the 19th<\/sup> of January, is one of those traditions, possibly the most important in the Church\u2019s calendar.<\/p>\n

The Amharic word timkat means \u201cbaptism\u201d, and the festival marks the baptism of Christ in the River Jordan.<\/p>\n

Preparations<\/h3>\n

Timkat is a huge deal and a seriously religious festival. Preparations for this spectacular event, possibly one of the biggest and most colourful on the African continent, begin on the 18th<\/sup>, when \u201ctabots\u201d – models of the\u00a0 Ark of the Covenant \u2013 are wrapped in fine cloths and carried on the heads of priests down to the river or other place of worship. Local people don white shawls \u2013 Ethiopians wear white when they go to church – and follow the procession.<\/p>\n

The Festival<\/h4>\n

Mass starts in the early hours of the 19th<\/sup> and continues for hours. When Mass is over, the water is blessed and the congregants take to the rivers, submerging themselves in a re-enactment of Christ\u2019s baptism. Of course, it\u2019s a happy occasion and that means the celebrations go on all day and are accompanied by feasting and music. \u00a0As well as eating their favourite Timkat food, Ethiopians celebrate important occasions with elaborate coffee ceremonies.<\/p>\n

On the 20th<\/sup>, the tabots are carried back to the churches in another procession that marks the end of the festival.<\/p>\n

One of the best places to observe Timkat is the town of Gondar, home to the 17th<\/sup> century castle built by King Fasilides. In the grounds of the castle is a huge open-air bath. The bath is usually empty, but during Timkat it\u2019s filled with water and the locals dive in. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to visit Ethiopia over the festive season. I missed Timkat by a couple of weeks. When I visited King Fasilides castle it was empty. Next time I go, I\u2019m definitely going for Timkat, and I\u2019m taking my swimming costume.<\/p>\n

Want to learn more about other traditions from around the world? Read our article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By Lesley McRobb<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Timkat Festival Christmas is a distant memory for most of us, but for Ethiopians, Christmas is a whole season that\u2019s just coming to an end now. Ethiopia was one of the first countries in the world to adopt Christianity, and as such it adheres to the ancient traditions that sit at the heart of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":301,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[184],"tags":[298,301,299,11,97,296,79,295,34,33,300,294,297],"class_list":["post-1938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history","tag-africa","tag-ancient-history","tag-christianity","tag-edinburgh-napier-university","tag-education","tag-festival","tag-history","tag-january","tag-libraries","tag-library","tag-religon","tag-the-ethiopia-timkat-festival","tag-world-festivals","post-preview"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Ethiopia Timkat Festival - The Library Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A look at The Ethiopia Timkat Festival on the Edinburgh Napier University Library Blog. 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St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, but there are parades and parties worldwide due to the large numbers of people with Irish heritage spread across the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Celebrations"","block_context":{"text":"Celebrations","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/celebrations\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"dog in st patricks day hat for blog post St. Patrick's Day","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2022\/03\/chihuahua-g0a662810d_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2022\/03\/chihuahua-g0a662810d_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2022\/03\/chihuahua-g0a662810d_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2022\/03\/chihuahua-g0a662810d_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2022\/03\/chihuahua-g0a662810d_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3763,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/12\/13\/luciadagen-santa-lucia-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":2},"title":"Luciadagen (Santa Lucia Day)","author":"julietkinsey","date":"13\/12\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Luciadagen (Santa Lucia Day) History On 13th December Scandinavians commemorate Luciadagen the so-called \u201cFestival of Lights\u201d celebrating Santa Lucia. This stems from the fourth-century martyrdom of the Italian Saint Lucia and is an important winter celebration in Scandinavian countries. In earlier centuries the Norse celebrated the winter solstice, but after\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Celebrations"","block_context":{"text":"Celebrations","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/celebrations\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Luciadagen (Santa Lucia Day) candle wreath for blog post","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/12\/dimitri-karastelev-LWWBpj4O82s-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/12\/dimitri-karastelev-LWWBpj4O82s-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/12\/dimitri-karastelev-LWWBpj4O82s-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5086,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2026\/02\/14\/the-worlds-love-story-with-valentines-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":3},"title":"The world\u2019s love story with Valentine’s Day","author":"mayagreen","date":"14\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The world\u2019s love story with Valentine's Day Today is coming up rosy, literally. Happy Valentine's Day, readers. And while it may feel like just chocolate and flowers, there is a much deeper heart-shaped history that made Valentine's the holiday it is today. Valentines day dates all the way back to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Library Information"","block_context":{"text":"Library Information","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/library-information\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Valentines Day","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2026\/02\/ed-robertson-UrF1Jf5PamQ-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C853&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2026\/02\/ed-robertson-UrF1Jf5PamQ-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C853&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2026\/02\/ed-robertson-UrF1Jf5PamQ-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C853&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3450,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2025\/07\/31\/lughnasa-celtic-harvest-festival\/","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":4},"title":"Lughnasa Celtic Harvest Festival","author":"julietkinsey","date":"31\/07\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Lughnasa Celtic Harvest Festival Lughnasa is one of four traditional Celtic harvest festivals.\u00a0 It happens at the end of summer when the grains are ripening, but have not yet been harvested. Usually celebrated on the 1st of August, it marks the end of summer and the beginning of the second\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Celebration Week"","block_context":{"text":"Celebration Week","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/celebration-week\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image of crops for blog post Lughnasa Celtic Harvest Festival","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/07\/polina-rytova-1dGMs4hhcVA-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/07\/polina-rytova-1dGMs4hhcVA-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/07\/polina-rytova-1dGMs4hhcVA-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4953,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2025\/12\/21\/winter-solstice-how-different-cultures-celebrate-the-longest-night\/","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":5},"title":"Winter Solstice: How Different Cultures Celebrate the Longest Night","author":"julietkinsey","date":"21\/12\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Winter Solstice: How Different Cultures Celebrate the Longest Night The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. It usually falls around December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. For thousands of years, people have celebrated this turning point when\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Celebration Week"","block_context":{"text":"Celebration Week","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/celebration-week\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter Solstice Around the World: Celebrating the Longest Night","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/11\/Untitled1.png?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/11\/Untitled1.png?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/11\/Untitled1.png?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/11\/Untitled1.png?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/11\/Untitled1.png?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pd3KWU-vg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/301"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1938"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1938\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1945,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1938\/revisions\/1945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}