The Ethiopian calendar is a unique form of the Coptic or Alexandrian calendar, derived from the earlier Egyptian calendar, influencing the Julian calendar
There is a very common question asked by anyone who visits Ethiopia, “How is it that you are eight years behind the rest of the world?”
A country that follows one of the most unique calendars in the world with its own language, tradition and above all, a culturally infused and unique way of celebrating its New Year in ways no other country does. As an Ethiopian that gets this very question often, it felt appropriate that we break this down into specific points that will finally make sense to our readers.
A country that follows one of the most unique calendars in the world with its own language, tradition and above all, a culturally infused and unique way of celebrating its New Year in ways no other country does. As an Ethiopian that gets this very question often, it felt appropriate that we break this down into specific points that will finally make sense to our readers.
First things first- we follow a unique calendar.
The Ethiopian calendar is a unique form of the Coptic or Alexandrian calendar, derived from the earlier Egyptian calendar, influencing the Julian calendar. Yes, I know. Your next question would be. Why does your calendar have a 7-8 years difference from the West’s Gregorian calendar?
Well, the Ethiopian Calendar has more in common with the Coptic Egyptian Calendar. The Ethiopic and Coptic calendars have 13 months, 12 of 30 days each and an intercalary month at the end of the year of five or six days depending whether the year is a leap year or not.
The year starts on 11 September in the Gregorian Calendar (G.C.) or on the 12th in (Gregorian) Leap Years. The Coptic Leap Year follows the same rules as the Gregorian so that the extra month always has 6 days in a Gregorian Leap Year. In other words, the Ethiopian calendar is also seven years and eight months behind the Western calendar, making our year 2019 instead of 2026.
This is because it calculates the birth year of Jesus Christ differently. When the Catholic Church amended its calculation in 500 AD, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church did not. To this day, the world uses the Gerogrian calendar for most functions including time, dates, and hours. Somehow, we have gotten used to our simultaneous reading of time and dates while the rest of the world only needs to do it once. Don't worry, it's not confusing at all. Maybe only when we interact with outside friends, we sometimes confuse our own time during the question “what time is it?”. But who's counting?
Well, the Ethiopian Calendar has more in common with the Coptic Egyptian Calendar. The Ethiopic and Coptic calendars have 13 months, 12 of 30 days each and an intercalary month at the end of the year of five or six days depending whether the year is a leap year or not.
The year starts on 11 September in the Gregorian Calendar (G.C.) or on the 12th in (Gregorian) Leap Years. The Coptic Leap Year follows the same rules as the Gregorian so that the extra month always has 6 days in a Gregorian Leap Year. In other words, the Ethiopian calendar is also seven years and eight months behind the Western calendar, making our year 2019 instead of 2026.
This is because it calculates the birth year of Jesus Christ differently. When the Catholic Church amended its calculation in 500 AD, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church did not. To this day, the world uses the Gerogrian calendar for most functions including time, dates, and hours. Somehow, we have gotten used to our simultaneous reading of time and dates while the rest of the world only needs to do it once. Don't worry, it's not confusing at all. Maybe only when we interact with outside friends, we sometimes confuse our own time during the question “what time is it?”. But who's counting?
Our New Year has its own name Enkutatash.
This is where the 3000-year-old story comes in. It is believed to this day that the name “Enkutatash” which means “gift of jewels” in the Amharic language dates back to the time of Queen of Sheba of ancient Ethiopia and Yemen, who was returning from a trip to visit King Solomon of Israel in Jerusalem.
As mentioned in the Bible in I Kings 10 and II Chronicles 9, she gifted Solomon 120 talents of gold (4.5 tons) as well as a large amount of unique spices and jewels. When the Queen returned to Ethiopia, her chiefs welcomed her with enku or jewels to replenish her treasury. Which is the meaning behind the first half of the word enku.
Then of course, the rest of the half tatash is a supportive meaning that basically translates into a business or affair for which she travelled all the way to Jeruslaem to visit King Solomon and the gift of jewels for her business trip or so to speak. Hence, the long translation of the word basically is A gift of jewellery- enku for your business- tatash. It becomes enku le tatash birthing to the final name “Enkutatash”.
Yellow Daisies are a big symbol of our New Year
We call them adey abeba in Amharic but for most, yellow daisies are the best way to describe them and they have a very close connection to every Ethiopian. This is for the fact that they are the only flowers that bloom only when September arrives and disappear after October in relation to the coming of our new year. Like we do for Christmas, everyone uses them to decorate their house, their clothes, malls, and buildings all over the city are decorated by them giving the ambiance of the new year smell adding into the amazing festivity that follows.
It wouldn't be a celebration without the food, music, coffee and people.
Where do we begin to tell you how amazing the festival is in celebrating this holiday? From the cultural foods being prepared that are mouth wateringly delicious, to the beautiful men, women and children dressed in traditional clothes.
Our amazing traditional drinks of Tej (honey wine) and Tela are served along with our famous coffee ceremony as people gather to eat, dance and just have a great time. Special music is released every year that talks about these aspects of our lives whereby once in a year, every Ethiopian from all corners of the country gets together to celebrate what makes us unique.
Our Ethiopian New Year is truly one of the most unique experiences that we get to have and every time memories are created, people are connected and we celebrate our country with new hopes and dreams for a better future.
There you have it. We hope this shades a bit of light into our unique festival that falls on the 11th of September or Meskerem 1 in our calendar every year. Next time you are planning a vacation, schedule it around this time and be part of this unique experience. Until then, wishing all our Ethiopian brothers and sisters a very Happy Ethiopian New Year! Melkam Addis Amet!