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The month of January in Ethiopia, being a harvesting
season, is one of the busiest months thick with
parties, weddings, secular and religious
celebrations among which Timket (Epiphany) is the
most unique religious festivity celebrated by
Christians. It comes 14 days after the Ethiopian
Christmas and is widely observed throughout the
country to commemorate the Baptism of Jesus Christ
by Saint John in the River Jordan (Yordanos).
The clergy often like to preach quotations from the
Gospel of Saint John during holidays like Timket.
Many people, however, wonder if the lay community
listening to the Gospel really knows the whereabouts
of the River Jordan where Jesus was baptised. Since
recent times, minor violations have been encountered
at the celebrations sites. This year’s Timket was
celebrated peacefully.
I had attended the Timket celebrations at Addisu
Gabya last Saturday and Sunday and had a taste of
the experiences of some devout Christens with a full
sense of piety in the face of all temptations and
competitions otherwise. The so called Addisu or
Semien Gabya is exactly three kilometres north of
St. George Cathedral Square at the end of Belay
Zelleke Road where the newly upgraded Addis/Godjam
Road starts. The NOC gas filling station has become
the centre stage for various celebrations including
Timket.
Earlier in the day, a group of us had rounded up our
weekly walks and joined the procession accompanying
the Egziharab Tabot that temporarily moves from the
hilltop east of the former Ajip filling station. The
gravel access track meanders down the sloping
terrain before it linked to the asphalted Addis/Godjam
Road.
The procession was majestic and deliberately
perpetual. As the Tabot and the huge procession
slowly moved through the villages, men and women
came out of their residences and kissed the ground
and ululated to pay their respect of faith in the
passing Tabot.
The priests in their gorgeous regalia under the
shades of their big umbrellas embroidered in velvet
with golden tassels were chanting loud while a
couple of deacons who were beating huge drums and
jingling bells to the tune of the hymns and songs.
Youngsters in special uniforms and gowns walked in
file clapping their hands and chanting, adding heat
and glory to the ecclesiastical procession. The lay
community was sweating in singing and dancing.
A couple of traditional singers were playing their
masinquos (local string instruments) praising
God and the Apostles. Everybody seemed to be
overwhelmed by the spiritual ecstasy. People
ululated at intervals spontaneously. All eyes
focused on the sacred Tabot being carried by one of
the priests dressed in shining embroidered drapes.
Three priests held three big colourful umbrellas to
give shade to the Tabot.
At the top of the Entoto mountain range you could
see the landscape covered with green bushes and
eucalyptus trees that seemed to sway and bow as if
they were also paying tribute to the Tabots. Pack
animals heavily laden with leaves and fuel wood
gallop down the winding road as if they were dashing
not to miss the show with attendants trailing behind
them carrying their long sticks. They too were taken
aback when the ecclesiastical procession advanced.
More often than not these beasts of burden litter
the wide Japanese-built road with their refuses that
are quickly collected by the dung gathering
community that lurks by the roadside. Somebody owes
these waste collectors some gratitude for their
swift reactions to keep the road as clean as
possible free of charge.
As we were trailing behind the procession on the
Addis/Godjam Road, we noticed that a whole bunch of
Addis-bound trucks was waiting still until the
procession moved and made way.
We saw a man blowing his horn walking in the
opposite direction and broadcasting the death of a
member the neighbourhood. He was wearing an old
sombrero style straw hat and a very short overcoat
that seemed to have seen better days. The man must
have drenched himself as it were in a barrel of
tella (local home brewed beer) judging by the
whiff of smell emanating from him and the way he
swayed from right to left. Some children were
uttering words like ‘Tejo DJ’ and the likes.
From the advantage of an eavesdropper we heard that
some people were arguing that the dead person,
whoever he or she may be, was lucky to have died on
such an occasion as Timket.
Others were of a different school of thought. They
argued that a person who dies at a time when all
priests and deacons are off duty attending the
Timket celebrations, is doomed to go to hell beyond
any germ of doubt. This debate is best left amongst
the concerned parties in favour of a journey to
Addisu Gabya.
As we arrived at Addisu we saw a large tent
decorated with the Ethiopian tricolour set to camp
the Tabots of St. Raphael, St. Michael (Yechakaw
Michael) and Egzarab. Villagers accompanying
their nearest Tabot flocked from all directions at
crowded the site. Women clad in their national
costumes clapping hands and ululating louder than
ever turned the area into a frenzy of festivity and
colourful celebrations.
The elaborate ecclesiastical garments of the priests
and deacons kept cameramen and tourists alike in
exoticism. The local singers playing their string
instruments were pushed aside into the periphery of
benchwarmers as they could not steal the limelight
any more than the laity. There were some kebele
officials standing by the Tabots and looking subdued
as is the case of most Ethiopian public personnel
who think they are bodies to be respected and
honoured for being public officials. There was of
course security staff under the new name of “demb
askebari” equipped with batons only.
The recently opened NOC filling station, which was
built amidst a strong controversy over title deed
between City Hall officials and the pious community,
imposes itself from a prominent place near the tent.
A six-storey building is under construction behind
the station.
The Semien market proper, minus the sheep stall,
lies to the west of the building. Lines of little
boutiques and wide red-painted metallic houses
constitute the main stores of the market. Hundreds
of shops and trading sheds are stocked with Chinese
footware and garments, hand-woven shemmas and
plastic crockery. All the hustle and bustle freezes
to a standstill whenever a religious celebration
takes place at the Gabya.
The next day I joined my friends to see off the Holy
Saviour Tabot coming from Jan Meda up to
Yekatit 12th Secondary School. We then went to a
party where we sliced raw meat like cabagges and
downed tej(honey wine) like water!
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