Addis Ababa, January 18, 2023 (FBC) – The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, has sent Timket (Ethiopian Epiphany) holiday best wishes to Ethiopians celebrating the festivity.
The full text of the Premier’s Timket holiday message reads as follows:-
I wish you all a Happy Ethiopian Epiphany holiday.
Epiphany (Timket) is celebrated with various connotations. On one hand, it serves as a sign for Christians to absorb humility, to proclaim their faith in God, and to find repentance and salvation. On the other hand, we, the diversified Ethiopians, colourfully celebrate Timket holiday nationwide because it is a great platform where we sparkle collectively.
Epiphany and humility are inseparable, because Epiphany is the day when the Almighty God is baptized by his creature and his servant – mankind. Timket is the occasion when He came down to earth dressed in human flesh, manifested kindness and taught humility to mankind. The humility that John the Baptist showed when baptizing his Lord is a notable attestation.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the value of humility by recalling John the Baptist’s humility and humble words when baptizing his Lord, “He must become greater; I must become less”.
PM Abiy added that “If people don’t see what is beneath when they think they are above and don’t show respect sincerely when they think they are on top, then they don’t understand the meaning of Baptism. The world has shown us on many occasions that those who despise humility and choose pride, who find it difficult to humble themselves and exalt themselves, who hate honesty and love to do injustice, end up not in merriment but in decline, not in honour but in mortification.
On the contrary, those who use the power given to them for good purposes will always have a lasting reputation. When those like Moses split the sea with the Staff they were given and lead their people to hope, those like Goliath used their superiority to despise and abuse everyone else. As a result, the Goliaths were easily crushed when Moses was praised. If we open our eyes and look around us, we will find Goliaths near us who have faced a tragic failure due to using their superiority for evil and their power for oppression. In order not to face the same fate, we should all make humility and kindness our treasure.
Another example of Epiphany is that it is a sign of salvation and repentance. Before Jesus Christ came down to the Jordan river, there was nobody that dared to throw away the garment of sin from Adam. The reason why Lord Jesus stood in the middle of the Jordan river was to take the humiliation of Adam, to take his sin and save him from suffering, to put away the filthy garment and replace it with clean and eternal garment. Every year we celebrate Epiphany (Timket) to praise Christ who redeemed us from suffering.
The paths that we follow and enjoy today are the ones that were once dusty and have been traced by the ancestors. Today’s developed countries have reached the height of civilization not because they have a new miraculous nature, but because their leaders and people once went through hardships, overcome difficulties and challenges and laid a foundation for them. Peace, salvation, and prosperity will come only when the predecessors are able to face the difficulties and sufferings and pave a way for future generations.
We, today’s generation, should understand that we are the main actors and carry the burdens of our country. We must know that there will be no light for our Ethiopia without accepting its suffering, for the height of our country without seeing the lows, and for our grandchildren without visiting the darkness. The responsibility of developing our country is placed on each of our shoulders. If we fulfil our responsibilities properly, we will be able to pass on a proud history to our grandchildren. Just as our ancestors paid the price and got the national values that we are proud of today, we have to do the same for future generations.
Dear fellow Ethiopians,
For us Ethiopians, Timket festival is more than just a religious celebration; it is also a celebration of our cultural values. From Gondar to Harar, from Mekele to Bale, from Metema to Jimma, Ethiopians will be celebrating it on the streets. Thousands travel from place to place to visit their relatives. It is the day when our social life is highlighted. Decked with different vibrant clothes, we listen to different spiritual songs, hymn, and mass. The Timket holiday is our public cultural museum.
For those who wish to know what kind of ethnicities, languages, dresses, hairstyles, and songs Ethiopia has, looking at the colourful celebration of Epiphany holiday is the best answer. Because of this, we are able to exclusively ensure Epiphany as a UNESCO inscribed intangible cultural heritage. We should repeat this experience in other national endeavours.
If we tailor democracy that fits to our height and physique, if we develop technologies fitting for our country, if we develop values and assets similar to our economic and social issues, the world will surely pay its full attention towards us. Every year, tourists come to us from all over the world, including Israel, where the Jordan River is located today. As it is a great day that attracts local and foreign visitors, we find economic benefit from Timket (Ethiopian Epiphany).
Along with this, one truth we realize is that these kinds of religious and public holidays are the holidays of all Ethiopians. Whether we follow the religion or not, the holiday belongs to all of us as citizens of the nation. Timket, Eid al-Fitr, Easter, Eid al-Adha, Christmas, and Mawlid are all of our holidays. The wealth of our country is the happiness of our people, so we are proud of the holidays. We all benefit economically and socially from the events. We should all work equally hard to colourfully celebrate religious holidays, especially Timket and Eid al-Adha.”
Praising all who are working hard for the successful celebration of the Timket festival, Prime Minister Abiy also called on every Ethiopian to do their collective and individual best for happiness of all.
“May God bless Ethiopia and its people!”, PM Abiy said in concluding his message.
January 18, 2023