The Timkat, Epiphany which celebrates the baptism of Christ, and St. George, with which celebrate the national patron, are among the most important holidays for the Ethiopian Coptic Orthodox Church. In these days in the city of Axum and Lalibela, thousands of faithful, wrapped in white veils, pray in candle light and keep watch all night the Tabot (copie of the Ark of the alliance). Take part in these liturgies, means immersing yourself in faith and solemnity of Christianity in its most ancient form, austere and mysterious. Axum and Lalibela are two holy cities in Ethiopia, and the legends tell that to Axum has kept the true Ark of the Alliance and that the rock churches of Lalibela, were built with the help of God and the angels. During these religious holidays, the faithful cover long distances on foot to participate in sacred rites and receive the blessing of the monks. Walk in silence through the streets of Axum and Lalibela in these days, means listening to the prayers whispered in dark corners of the churches or under the white veil of the women, it means to participate in the mysterious rites of one of the oldest churches in the world, participate in the celebrations and sing and clap to the rhythm of drums, or being overwhelmed by the joy of the crowd that dives in the blessed waters. Over the centuries, the faithful of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church have been the victim of numerous attacks and violence abroad and in Ethiopia. Only a few years ago, hundreds of Ethiopian Christian Orthodox faithful, were forced to abandon their homes in the villages in west-central Ethiopia, after several fires of churches and homes.
