Spectacular photos reveal the explosion of colour that is Ethiopia's ancient Timkat festival, one of the world's oldest Christian ceremonies celebrated with processions of dancing priests and midnight river swims



T imkat is the Ethiopian Orthodox take on Epiphany and involves a colourful parade

Celebrations begin the night before with a 2am riverside ceremony



Priests wear robes of brightly coloured velvet and carry sequinned umbrellas

Photos were taken by Eric Lafforgue who attended the January celebrations

He has spent considerable time in Ethiopia meeting locals and discovering their traditions




While for most of us, January means cutting down on alcohol and getting to grips with a new workout regime, for Ethiopia's Orthodox Christians, it marks one of the most colourful celebrations of the year.

Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox take on Epiphany, brings thousands of pilgrims flocking to the ancient rock-hewn churches at Lalibela and to the ancient city of Gondar nearby each winter.

Taken by French photographer Eric Lafforgue, who has travelled widely in Ethiopia meeting local people, the images offer a unique insight into one of the world's oldest Christian ceremonies.

And as the incredible photos reveal, there's more to the celebration than prayer and contemplation, with colourful parades and late night dips in the river all part of the plan.

Scroll down for video



Looking on: A nun watches as preparations for the ceremony commence. She, and her male counterparts, will lead the procession

By the fourth century, the religion had become the established church of the Axumite Kingdom, the predecessor of modern Ethiopia, via the work of a Greek named Frumentius or, as the Ethiopians called him, Abba Selama, Kesaté Birhan. Although Epiphany is celebrated by other Christian denominations, few do it as colourfully as the Ethiopians. Proceedings last for three days and begin with a fast known as the 'gahad of Timkat' which takes place on the eve of Epiphany. Although some people fast throughout the celebrations, others indulge in special fare such as fir fir, a torn up injera bread with butter and berberi, a spicy red powder. 'For those who like risks, try the Kitfo,' suggests Lafforgue. 'It consists of minced raw beef, marinated in mitmita, type of chili powder, but you need to ready for a hot mouth afterwards!'

Exuberant: The religious procession is accompanied by dancers, all male, while women watch the event unfold from the sidelines

Beautiful: The priest's robes are decorated with beautifully worked beading and embroidery and even outshine the colourful clothes of the women



Wonderful: The ceremony draws thousands of pilgrims to Lalibela each year and all parts of society are represented whether elder (left) or priest (right)



Devoted: A little girl kisses a cross held by one of the priests. During the ceremony, children dance along behind the main procession

Whether fasting or not, all worshippers take part in a celebration of the Divine Liturgy near a pool or a stream in the early hours of the morning during which many throw themselves into the water to reaffirm their vows.

The main event on the following day sees locals clad in traditional white robes follow a procession of priests dressed in jewel-coloured ceremonial velvets and satins and bearing sequinned velvet umbrellas through the streets to the sound of exuberant singing and accompanied by dancers.

But although it might look spontaneous, according to Lafforgue, the parade is ordered by age and gender, with everyone falling in behind priests carrying the tabot.

First come elderly men, all carrying their ceremonial weapons, with singing middle-aged men behind. Young men come after, dancing exuberantly, while the women watch proceedings from the sidelines.

Locals: Lalibela locals prepare for the procession: The priest on the left will be part of the parade while the lady on the right will watch proceedings from the sidelines

Spectacular: A little boy waits for the celebration to begin beside one of the blue-painted pools that will be used during the blessing ceremony

'The main difficulty I had was accessing the place where they kept the tabots, as lot of policemen were guarding the area and it was crowded with priests. 'But we were lucky and met a man named Pestaw Kibatu, a very nice priest who helped us to get as close as we could. He was so proud to share this unique moment with us.' He adds: 'Taking photos of the people wasn't hard, as they were all proud to see foreigners were interested in their culture. The priests were also very keen on pictures, and many gave me their Facebook contact so they could get the pictures afterwards. 'Others were also taking photos of the ceremony on their mobile phones - a few even took some of us! '

Blessing: A priest sprays the mostly female crowd of onlookers with holy water as they stop for a break during the procession

Instruction: While some of the elders carry traditional ceremonial fans (left), others take the opportunity to read the Bible, first translated into Amharic in the 19th century



LALIBELA: THE ETHIOPIAN CITY FOUNDED BY A SAINT

After Axum, the spot where Christianity was introduced, Lalibela is Ethiopia's holiest city and is home to a series of stunning rock-hewn churches that date from the 10th century. The town takes its name from a saint, Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, who was a member of the Zagwe dynasty that ruled Ethiopia in the 12th and 13th centuries. But although Saint Lalibela draws flocks of pilgrims, it's the monolithic churches, each of which were hewn from living rock, that truly put Lalibela on the map.



Route: The procession eventually stops at a church where a service is held and the tabot, a copy of the Ark of the Covenant, is put away

Imposing: Lalibela is famous for its vast rock-hewn churches, most of which date from the 10th century and were carved out of the cliffs

Squeeze: Female pilgrims clad in white veils and carrying Bibles are crammed into the church for the ceremony

Striking: A local man waits next to a carving depicting Christ Pantocrator (Christ enthroned) inside one of the rock churches as he waits for the ceremony to begin

