#12: Timkat – Ethiopia
Timkat, celebrated on January 19 (or 20 in leap years), honors the baptism of Jesus and has been observed since the 4th century, when Christianity became Ethiopia’s state religion. The festival features clergy carrying replicas of the Ark of the Covenant in overnight processions, followed by community-wide water blessings the next morning. Steeped in centuries of faith and ritual, Timkat remains a cornerstone of Ethiopian Orthodox life.
