What Calendar Does Ethiopia Use Today?
Ethiopia uses its own traditional calendar, known as the Ethiopian Calendar (also called the Ge'ez Calendar), a unique solar calendar that is approximately 7–8 years behind the Gregorian Calendar (the one used by most of the world).
The Ethiopian calendar is based on the Coptic calendar and closely related to the ancient Egyptian calendar. Here’s a full explanation:
Understand the Ethiopian Calendar System
1. It is 7 to 8 Years Behind
Ethiopia is currently about 7-8 years behind the Gregorian calendar. When it's 2025 in most of the world, it's 2017/2018 in Ethiopia. This difference arises because of how the birth year of Jesus Christ was calculated differently in early Christian traditions.
2. It Has 13 Months
The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months instead of 12:
12 months of 30 days each. A 13th month called "Pagumē" with 5 days (or 6 days in a leap year). The name Pagume roughly translates to "forgotten days."
3. The New Year Starts in September
The Ethiopian New Year, called Enkutatash, falls on Mäskäräm 1 in the Ethiopian calendar.
In the Gregorian calendar, this date usually corresponds to September 11th, or September 12th in the Gregorian year following a leap year.
For Travelers
If you are traveling to Ethiopia, it's important to be aware of this unique system:
- Dual Dates: You will often see dates written in both the Ethiopian and Gregorian formats on official documents, hotels, and airlines.
- Official Use: The Ethiopian Calendar is the official state civil calendar and is used for most day-to-day life, holidays, and religious observances.
- Cultural Importance: The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church follows it for fasting periods, feasts, and religious events.
