BY ADDISALEM MULAT
It is no hyperbole to say Ethiopian Timket is one of the topmost merriments that the faithful of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church celebrates in every nook and cranny of the country once every year.
It is abundantly clear that the Ethiopian Timket (Epiphany) is celebrated colorfully on an annual basis by the followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church situated in the length and breadth of the country.
On that specific day, the faithful adorn themselves head to foot with attention-grabbing traditional clothes that could steal the attention of every Tom, Dick, and Harry in two shakes of a lamb’s tail in furtherance of commemorating the Jesus Christ’s Baptism by Saint John in the Jordan River.
In the course of the festivity, the faithful residing in every corner of the country do everything they can in contemplation of adding color to the festivity. No matter what happened, each and everyone makes an effort to add color to the festival.
Oftentimes, during the day, tourists from a wide spectrum of the world come to Ethiopia to attend the ceremony which is escorted by the patriarch, bishops, priests, deacons, archbishops, and all that kind of crap.
In the same way, Tabots, that are replicas of the Ark of the Covenant are accompanied by spiritual ceremonies, traditional songs, spiritual dances, and things of that sort. Everybody irrespective of gender, political point of view, religious affiliation, and other related aspects give color to the festivity.
This year’s Ketera is celebrated in a very unique way. The congregations were making everything possible to give color to the ceremony. One of the attendees approached by The Ethiopian Herald regarding the celebration of Timket (Epiphany) said, “I thought the number of congregations who will partake in the Timket holiday will decline on the grounds of the COVID-19 pandemic that has been increasing at an alarming rate in the length and breadth of the country. However, quite a lot of people attended the celebration putting into effect a wide spectrum of protective measures to avert COVID-19 transmission.”
“We have been celebrating this year’s Timket after the aftermath of the law enforcement operation that has been taken by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces in the Tigray Region. The junta members were turning the lives of the general public into a living hell for nearly three decades.
Back in the day, we were not able to celebrate the day peacefully on account of the TPLF junta officials’ interference in what does not concern them,” he added.
We were not free to celebrate the day freely. The people of Ethiopia suffered a lot and were under the oppression of the TPLF junta officials for many years. However, thanks to God, at the end of the day, we are freed now. We are enjoying freedom. We are living in freedom and breathing in freedom.
While on the subject, Ketera comes about on the eve of Epiphany throughout the country after the festivity of the Ethiopian Christmas holiday. The holiday plays a major role in bringing people together from every inch of the city.
The community as a whole has access to the traditions, cultures, and norms of the various Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ of Ethiopia in the ceremony.
Speaking of which, Ketera emanates from the word Ketere which means to impede, to impede water from coursing. Likewise, Ketera by itself is an extraordinary holiday. The water is collected and baptized in readiness for sprinkling over the heads of all congregations the following morning.
During this day, Tabots carried from each church to a wide spectrum of carefully chosen areas for marking the holiday. The areas could be watersides or artificial pools. On the next day, after everything exuberant and reverent singing, dancing, and whatnot.
By the same token, as there are quite a lot of celebration centers in various parts of the country, all and sundry uniquely celebrate the day accordingly to their respective cultures. The unity of the various Nations, Nationalities, and peoples’ of Ethiopia which are manifested in the Timket holiday should be replicated in the day-to-day activities of the population as a whole.
When we make an effort is carried out, the Tabots are carried back to their respective areas escorted by together in unity, we can bridge potential gaps that can pour cold water on the social cohesion of the community as a whole, retain the former glory of the country and take the country to new heights.
As the saying goes united we stand and divided we fall. When we live in peace and harmony and tighten our bonds, we can achieve the desired goal in the shortest possible time and make our enemies feel small.
The Ethiopian Herald January 20/2021
