The Ethiopian New Year
The Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash, is an elaborate cultural event that signifies the nation’s rich history.
Ethiopia was not colonised by the rest of the world, so it still maintains most of its culture and traditions.
The Ethiopian calendar is closely linked with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
The Ethiopian calendar
The Ethiopian calendar is derived from the ancient Coptic and Julian calendars.
The main difference between the Ethiopian and Gregorian calendars (which we currently use) is the calculation of Jesus Christ’s birth year.
The Gregorian calendar and the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar have different dates for the birth of Christ.
The Gregorian calendar places it between 1 B.C. and 1 A.D., while the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar sets it seven to eight years later.
This difference in dates is why the years don’t match between the two calendars.
The Ethiopian calendar is a solar calendar with 12 months (30 days each) plus an additional 13th month (Pagumē) with five or six days in leap years. It also has 365 days in a month.
However, it’s New Year, and Enkutatash is on Meskerem 1. This is usually around September 11 or 12 on the Gregorian calendar.
The date coincides with the end of Ethiopia’s rainy season when flowers start to grow again. It is always a celebratory occasion.
Difference between how Ethiopia calculates dates and months and the rest of the world
- Ethiopia calculates time much differently than the rest of the world. The day begins at 6:00 AM and not midnight at 12 AM.
- The day is divided into two 12-hour parts, starting at 6:00 AM and ending at 18:00 AM.
- Ethiopian calendar months have unique names, beginning with Meskerem (September/October) and ending with Nehasse (August).
- Pagumē, the 13th month, serves as a brief transition between the old and new years.
- Ethiopian Christmas is called Genna, and it happens on January 7.
