The occasion was Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s celebration of Jesus Christ’s baptism that began Thursday afternoon and concluded Friday. Held annually and second in importance only to Christmas in the eyes of the church, the tradition sees the replica Ark that every Ethiopian Orthodox church normally keeps out of public view brought outside. Shaded beneath canopies of blue, red and gold, the precious receptacle is then paraded through the streets. Following them were musicians playing the begena, a harp-like instrument used for church functions whose strings are made from sheep guts. As the sun rose after a night spent praying over the assembled Arks, Orthodox priests mounted platforms overlooking a field normally used by the capital’s footballers and aspiring marathoners and hosed down thousands of assembled believers with holy water.

Source: Ethiopian News January 19, 2018 12:56 UTC