Last week Timkat, or Epiphany, was celebrated for three days across Ethiopia. The holiday marks the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. Gonder is a popular destination so the city was buzzing with excitement. Upon landing in Gonder from Addis Ababa, we were greeted by women in traditional garb handing out flowers, coffee, and bread. The city erected a statue of the highly regarded Emperor Tewodros in the center of the Piazza. I also noticed that many hotels that have been under construction since I first arrived in Gonder were now open, even though they appeared to be unfinished. Locals and pilgrims flooded the streets in celebration, and all of Thursday night I heard prayers being broadcasted.
On Friday we went to Fasiladas' Bath at 7:00 AM. The bath house was decorated with lights, streamers, and red, yellow, and green striped banners. There were thousands and thousands of spectators. The Ethiopians were dressed in all white. The handful of tourists stuck out in the muted sea of white. In front of the bath house clergy were chanting, the low and guttural, in the ancient language of Ge'ez, the predecessor of Amharic. The noise reverberated in the crowd, and the pilgrims swayed with the prayers. After making our way through the throngs, we found spots on the rickety, wooden bleachers surrounding the bath. It was packed; I could hardly move an inch. I had to rest my hands on the shoulders of the woman in front of me. Many children and young men scampered up the sides of the bleachers or perched themselves in trees to get the best view.
Shortly after the crown had squeezed onto the bleacher, the clergy entered and arranged themselves along the pool. They were dressed in fantastic, lush robes of vivid hues with umbrellas, large wooden and gold crosses, and other Ethiopian Orthodox regalia. Some were old with wrinkles and long graying beards while others were surprisingly young. The clergy continued the ceremony, chanting and preaching for roughly two hours. The crowd stood mesmerized, singing along for brief interludes and nodding knowingly. As the service was wrapping up, numerous men appeared by the poolside and began to strip down to their boxers. They kept edging closer and closer to the water. Finally, an elderly priest blessed the water, and the reenactment of the baptism commenced. The somber spell was broken and gave way to revelry. The men jumped in to the cold water, and swam around joyfully. The crowd clapped vigorously and cheered. For good luck, the swimmers splashed the consecrated water into the crowd.
Following the ritual baptism, there was a process outside Fasiladas' Bath. The clergy came out carrying the Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. The Tabot is a chest holding stone tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed. Drummers accompanied the clergy, and onlookers sang along and danced. Similar parades took place throughout Gonder and the rest of Ethiopia during Timkat. It is an opportunity for the greater public to see the Tabot, which is normally kept on church altars and not showcased. After viewing the procession and chatting with some friendly children, who all wanted to know exactly what we thought of Timkat, we headed home exhausted. Luckily, our water was back! It had been turned off for days prior to Timkat in order to redirect water to hotels and the Piazza. So in the spirit of Timkat, I too had a ritual baptism and took a shower.
Shortly after the crown had squeezed onto the bleacher, the clergy entered and arranged themselves along the pool. They were dressed in fantastic, lush robes of vivid hues with umbrellas, large wooden and gold crosses, and other Ethiopian Orthodox regalia. Some were old with wrinkles and long graying beards while others were surprisingly young. The clergy continued the ceremony, chanting and preaching for roughly two hours. The crowd stood mesmerized, singing along for brief interludes and nodding knowingly. As the service was wrapping up, numerous men appeared by the poolside and began to strip down to their boxers. They kept edging closer and closer to the water. Finally, an elderly priest blessed the water, and the reenactment of the baptism commenced. The somber spell was broken and gave way to revelry. The men jumped in to the cold water, and swam around joyfully. The crowd clapped vigorously and cheered. For good luck, the swimmers splashed the consecrated water into the crowd.
Following the ritual baptism, there was a process outside Fasiladas' Bath. The clergy came out carrying the Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. The Tabot is a chest holding stone tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed. Drummers accompanied the clergy, and onlookers sang along and danced. Similar parades took place throughout Gonder and the rest of Ethiopia during Timkat. It is an opportunity for the greater public to see the Tabot, which is normally kept on church altars and not showcased. After viewing the procession and chatting with some friendly children, who all wanted to know exactly what we thought of Timkat, we headed home exhausted. Luckily, our water was back! It had been turned off for days prior to Timkat in order to redirect water to hotels and the Piazza. So in the spirit of Timkat, I too had a ritual baptism and took a shower.
Festivities at Fasiladas' Bath
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| Entering Fasiladas' Bath early in the morning |
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| Men scampering up the bleachers to see the ceremony |
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| Priests and bystanders watching the ritual baptism |
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| Swimmers in front of the bath house |
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| Leaving Fasiladas' Bath |
Procession of Clergy with the Ark of the Covenant
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| Rolling out the red carpet for the procession |
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| Priest carrying a covered Tabot on his head |
Melkam Timkat!
