Ethiopians give greater consideration for Timket mass gathering street festival. The Timket or Epiphany is a religious festival celebrated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church [Orthodox Christians] to commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
The Festival reflects enormous manifestations of people taking part on the celebration. The Ethiopian Timket (Epiphany) has unique features. Cultural splendid dressing, songs, dances, games, competition are the most attractive part of the celebration beyond the eye watering spiritual ceremonial occasions. Everyone has the right to take part in every songs, dances, games and whatever that is going on during the Festival.
Thus, it creates ample opportunities to introduce someone with others and cultivate sustainable relations. No one feels loneliness on the Day as it is a Day of chants, songs, dances and joint spiritual songs. . Participants witnessed that Timket plays the lion’s share in preserving the country’s diversified cultural assets.
During Timket, all people regardless of age, gender ethnicity or any other background flow out of their house to accompany and escort the arcs (Tabots) to the sacred places arranged to them to spend the night. On the Ethiopian Timket festival, there are two major ceremonial occasions that take place at a time starting from the eve up to the end. One is the spiritual ceremonial process that takes place by religious leaders, priests, Sunday schools’ students, harpist, ecclesiastics, among others.
This includes baptism with the pop, Arks (Tabots) move on streets accompanied with religious leaders, priests, Sunday school students, laities, and the general public. The second is the religious, cultural and ceremonial part that takes place by ordinary people happen on the day. That means the youths show various cultural songs, dances and cultural games such as horse riding competition, javelin throwing, wrestling and other cultural sports. While, elders show ancient bravery struggles symbolizing their own or forefathers and fathers struggle for the sake of the motherland freedom.
Mothers and girls are also seen demonstrating their part in the ceremonial process through religious singing and cultural songs. This was stated by and was taken from Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritages (ARCCH) Public and International Relation Director Fanta Beyene. Promoting awareness on cultural heritages is important to inherit best cultural assets like Timket to the future generations, he added.
As to him, Ethiopia is expecting to inscribe Timket on UNESCO registration list and it is expecting it to be announced during the upcoming UNESCO’s World Intangible Heritages Conference which is held in November, 2019. Ethiopia has sent the sample document of Timket’s street festival for registration last year, he added.
The country has also sent nomination file, 10 selected photos and 10 minutes video of Timket festival for UNESCO registration assessment last year. The UNESCO Committee will crosscheck and agree on whether the Festival deserves to be added or not to be in the world intangible cultural heritage list after investigating the criteria, as he stated. The sustainability of the festival among the people, not violating or affecting human rights as well as the attractiveness of the ceremonial process enable this cultural heritage be registered with UNESCO. Upon these and other preconditions Timket deserves to be included in UNESCO’s registration list, he indicated.
“Registration of Timket will increase its international acceptance and status to attract more touristsw to the country.” Further to this Timket festival registration with UNESCO will be a great opportunity to develop and promote it since UNESCO could easily introduce it to the public worldwide, he underlined. Timket has immense social, economical and cultural values to the people. The current generation is fulfilling his/her responsibility through active engagements in supporting and facilitating the Festival’s ceremonial occasions. The Festival continues with interconnecting people keeping cultural exchange among different ethnicity backgrounds, he noted.
The Festival manifests social interaction among people of all ethnicity, profession, age and other background. Different ethnic background people make groups in circle and present their cultural music on the street to the mass gathering.
Thus, participants of the Holiday have their own choice to join the cultural value when they feel happy. There are many options to go all directions and find something special to see. It is your own decision to view the major activities that takes place on the Day [12 hours] ceremonial occasion.
The Festival is also known for finding new lover by creating engagement opportunities for the youths through throwing lemons on opposite sex. It is culturally accepted [not unusual] to see youths while throwing lemon on their counterpart of their choice on Timket celebration. It is common to see people going to Timket festival in groups. They might make up their group up on family, relatives, neighborhood, friends, classmates, schoolmates or colleagues.
The Authority is working closely with stakeholders on passing down this spiritual, and cultural value of the festival to the future generations.To this end, massive awareness creation is important. Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) Addis Ababa Diocese Heritage and Tourism Head Memhir Eyob Abate told The Ethiopian Herald that the Church [EOC] have its platform of maintaining religious assets to pass down to the future generations. The Church is known for its diversified tangible and intangible assets.
Thus, there are more tasks about undertaking sustainable heritages conservation, he added. As to him, ‘Jan Meda’ is among the leading with mass gathering of people during Timket celebration in the country. “It gives the opportunity to see all Ethiopians gathered together to mark the day irrespective of ethnicity’s cultural backgrounds.” The number of participant tourists’ inflow to Ethiopia to participate in Timket Festival is increasing year after year.
The Church is doing its level best in preserving forefather’s spiritual preaching through educating the new generations. “Youths’ activities and involvement is increasing on conservation of religious and cultural heritages.” He said that Timket is a Holiday to witness togetherness and peace for the sake of God’s love. Experts in the area indicate that the event offers tourists with opportunities to attend the traditional attires of the various people of the country. The Day has contributed a lot in promoting unity among the people. People of various socio-economic backgrounds interact among one another on various events. In short, it is a significant Day which fosters peaceful coexistence and intermarriage among the people of Ethiopia.
Herald January 16/2019
BY TEWODROS KASSA
