Timkat

Timkat ( Amharic: ጥምቀት; [ t'ɨmk'ət ] - "Baptism ") is the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan and the Epiphany. The festival will take place on January 19 ( January 20 in leap years) instead, ie on the 10th day of the Ethiopian Ṭərr month. The festival is known (similar to Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land, the baptism in the Jordan nachstellten ) for his re-enactments of baptism. These were often misinterpreted by early European travelers as actual baptisms (as re-baptism ) to the confession of Nicaea - Constantinople Opel would be invalid, as Christians confess to only " one baptism for the forgiveness of sins."

During Timkat ceremony will Tabot panels - (comparable to Western altar stone ) replicas of the Ark of the Covenant, which can be found in every Ethiopian altar - wrapped in ornate linen and worn by priests in procession on the head. The Tabot represent the appearance of Jesus as the Messiah when he came to the baptism of the Jordan River. The ceremony is in the early morning hours ( around 2 clock in the morning) celebrated near a river or a water basin. At dawn, the water is blessed and sprinkled on the participants of the ceremony. Some of them get into the water and dive under it, where they symbolically renew their baptismal vows. Around noon the Tabot will be returned to the churches in procession with songs and dances.