Thousands of Ethiopian orthodox worshippers came together in the capital Addis Ababa on Thursday (January 19), to celebrate Epiphany, a festival that commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ according to the ancient Orthodox calendar. The colourful festival, also known as Timket is one of the oldest and most important observed religious festivals in Ethiopia. Many local tour operators feared that the political unrest would scare away visitors, who usually come in great numbers during the festival. Our bird guide who was with us, we ran into another group from the same company and they were affected. Despite the growing influence of Islam and evangelical churches in the country, the traditional Orthodox Church remains strong.

Source: Ethiopian News January 21, 2017 08:29 UTC