Eritrea is a diverse nation with rich cultures, religions, and history. Based on those varieties Eritrea celebrates different national holidays all year-round. In the month of January Eritrea celebrated two major national holidays. The most recent of the two was Baptism also locally called ‘TimKet’. It is a religious holiday that occurs annually.
Also, on this day the people of Eritrea, regardless of ones’ religion, spend the holiday visiting each other’s household. They spend the day dining together, and entertaining with another. As said above, this is a national holiday, thus youth are found at home enjoying time with their families and friends. This is seen as extremely important for Eritreans, due to the fact that Eritrean society is very family oriented.
The Eritrean youth can be seen entertaining themselves in many different ways. One of the notorious things they do is splash each other with water as well as cars that pass by Bahti Meskerem, as if they were being blessed. There are also hundreds of children who go throughout the streets singing “Mezmur” (songs connected to the religion) all the way from Bahti Meskerem until they reach their churches.
Eritreans celebrate a wide range of holidays in beautiful fashions. TimKet was no different, on the national stage the event was celebrated en masse, with participants reaching the ten thousands from all over the nation. Foreigners also attended, walking alongside Eritreans to Bahti Meskerem in central Asmara, to the event hosted by the Eritrean patriarch. The ceremony was established by the Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, in the presence of the Governor of the Central Region, other government officials, and invited dignitaries