Epiphany in Ethiopia is the Festival of the Baptism of Jesus. It has been celebrated since the fourth century, but the current festival follows on from later developments: the procession from the 12th century and the three-day festival from the 14th.
On the first day, Katara, the Ark of the Covenant (replica) is taken in procession to the place of the festival, in this case a field on the outskirts of the town, and the baptismal pool is prepared.
Timkat, January 19, is the second day. I don’t know how early the prayers began, but the Mass continued from early hours to 11:00, ending with the blessing of the font and sprinkling of those near enough to the sprinkler system. Then the procession returns to town, and divides as the congregation’s go to their various churches.
The third day commemorates the story of the marriage at Cana, and the procession will end at the parish church, which is surely not big enough for the many thousands who will participate.
Exodus runs two Timkat holidays, one to Gondar where the baptismal font is a swimming pool known anachronistically as the Queen of Sheba’s bath, and this one, to Mekele – less of a tourist attraction, and more of an Ethiopian festival in which a few non-Africans are welcome guests but do not dominate the proceedings.
Katara
We arrived in town for lunch on Friday 18th. Driving to the hotel, our way was blocked by one branch of the procession, so we got out and followed it. There was much chanting and clapping. Sometimes a group of men or women would spontaneously form into a circle around two dancers.
After we merged with the procession from the parish church, we saw organized groups within the procession – children dressed in albs and sometimes mitres, seminarians in black cassocks with a bishop in purple, special costumes and festive umbrellas, and families with small children. Some of our group loved to photograph the little ones, but had to be careful not to distract them.
At the point where the procession turned off the road into the fields, we turned back, probably so that we could check in before sunset. I am not sure what we missed.
Timkat
We were expecting an early start, but did not leave until 8. Ashu was dressed in a special white costume.
Drove to the back of the latecomers’ procession, and followed them into a dusty field. Surely this could not be our destination? No, there was another field, over to the right, where we could see crowds in white clothes.
At first we could not see much. We just heard chanting, and made our way round the outskirts, where groups of children had settled down, some doing their own chanting and dancing.
Later, we made our way round to the area between the pavilion and the baptismal pool, where a stage was marked out by a red carpet. Earlier, there had been a group chanting on the stage. I saw a group of musicians playing ten-stringed lyres. Then a passionate speaker took the microphone and preached for over an hour. I learned later than his subject was the advantage of co-operation over hierarchy. In coming for baptism, Jesus did not show his superiority to John the Baptist. (Cf. the text in Philippians 2.). The crowds applauded. All I understood was “Amen” and “Alleluia”.
At last, a few words in English: the bishop greeted foreign visitors and wished us a happy Epiphany.
About this time, two horses were ridden into the arena, and galloped round the red carpet. Something was going to happen! At the same time, more and more priests with processional crosses were approaching the baptismal pool.
The service in the pavilion came to an end, the priests blessed the water, and a plastic duck representing the Holy Spirit was set afloat on the pool, together with some wax candles.
The priests dipped their hands in the water, and touched them to their foreheads. A cameraman started splashing his friends. I called out “over here”, and was duly splashed myself. Soon the sprinkler system was pouring out the holy water all over the crowd. I’d like to think it all came from the blessed pool.
And that was Timkat. Some of the more adventurous members of our group sought out, in the evening, a cafe where they were the only foreigners, and found much music, dancing and acrobatics.
St Michael and the Wedding at Cana
The third day of the festival is not a public holiday, but it was a Sunday this year. We had a long drive ahead of us, with a lunch stop at the only significant town on the way. But when we tried to leave the town, the road was blocked by yet another procession, on its way to a new church.
After long enquiries, our guide discovered there was a way back to the main road, and we resumed the journey. The road was high and rough. In one place, Tariqa and Ashu got out to gather stones and place them in a gulley before we could drive over. In another, we were all asked to get out before the bus crossed a stream. I kept hoping to see Lalibela round the next corner, but it was dark before we arrived in town.
emeritablog: life after work 