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A unique destination -

Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent nation. As such, it still maintains most of its traditions and a unique cultural heritage found nowhere else on Earth.

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Time difference -

Anybody visiting Ethiopia will soon become aware that there's something odd about the date and timeline: the country is seven years "behind" the rest of the world. So, what's going on?

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The Ethiopian Orthodox Church -

Ethiopia is the home of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, one of the oldest Christian denominations.

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A calendar event -

In Ethiopia, the birth of Christ is recognized with a difference of seven or eight years compared to the Gregorian, or "Western," calendar. Let's explore this in more detail.

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Pope Gregory XIII -

Way back in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decided to issue the Gregorian calendar, introduced as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar, itself a reform of the earlier Roman calendar.

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Gregorian calendar -

While most of the planet adopted the Gregorian calendar, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church opted to stick to the ancient dates and followed its own agenda—the Ethiopian calendar.

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Birth of Christ -

The main difference between the Ethiopian and Gregorian calendars is the calculation of Jesus Christ's birth year.

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When was Jesus born? -

The main discrepancy lies in the fact that the Ethiopian calendar fixes the birth of Jesus in year 7 of our era according to the Gregorian calendar and establishes its year 1 from this date. The Gregorian calendar, on the other hand, places Jesus' birth in year 1 CE and starts counting from that point.

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Explaining the Ethiopian calendar -

Following a solar-lunar system, the Ethiopian calendar has 12 months with an additional 13th month in leap years. Twelve of those months last 30 days. The final month (Pagumē) consists of just five days, or six days during a leap year. Still confused?

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Turning back time -

In a nutshell, by recognizing the birth date of Jesus as being seven years and eight months earlier (because their year 1 is 7 CE in Gregorian time) than the rest of the Christian world, Ethiopia's timeline is effectively nearly eight years behind much of humanity's.

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When is the Ethiopian New Year? -

In Ethiopia, New Year is rung in on September 11, or 12 if it's a leap year. That means on September 11, 2025, it will be 2018 in Ethiopia.

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Enkutatash -

New Year in Ethiopia is known as Enkutatash. It occurs on Meskerem 1 on the Ethiopian calendar, which is September 11 (or, during a leap year, September 12) according to the Gregorian calendar.

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The Queen of Sheba -

According to Ethiopian tradition, on September 11 the Queen of Sheba (Makeda in Ethiopian) returned to Ethiopia from a sojourn to Jerusalem where she met King Solomon.

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"Gift of jewels" -

The queen's followers celebrated her homecoming by offering her jewels. Hence Enkutatash means the "gift of jewels."

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Flower power -

According to legend, the monarch's return coincided with the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the Ethiopian summer. Flowers began to bloom across the country, including a bright yellow flowering plant native to the country called adey abeba.

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Bloom boom -

The flower plays a significant role in Ethiopian New Year celebrations, exchanged as it is between loved ones as a symbol of luck and blessing for the coming year.

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Nationwide cultural event -

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Joining the procession -

Ethiopian Orthodox devotees take to the streets in cities, towns, and villages and join colorful processions of dancing and singing.

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Spring festival -

Essentially a spring festival, Enkutatash celebrates both the New Year and the Feast of John the Baptist. Pictured: an Ethiopian Orthodox priest holds out the Orthodox cross to a child's face in the courtyard of the Elias Church in the mountains surrounding the country's capital, Addis Ababa.

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New Year's Eve -

On New Year's Eve, many Ethiopians gather in front of churches to bow and pray in what is best described as a street mass.

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Hosting the festivities -

Numerous religious sites play host to the celebrations. One of the most sacred is Entoto Maryam Church on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. This is the oldest church in the country and the burial places of Emperor Menelik II and his wife Taytu.

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Spectacular celebration -

Another popular church to see the New Year in is Raguel Church, perched on top of Entoto Mountain, north of the city. It's here that the largest and most spectacular religious celebration takes place.

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Traditional feast -

It wouldn't be Enkutatash without a feast, and traditional dishes served during the occasion include doro wat—slow-cooked chicken simmered with chili, garlic, berbere, cardamom, and ginger, and served with boiled eggs or rice. Accompanying the meal is injera, a pancake-like flatbread.

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Bringing in the New Year -

After mass is celebrated on the eve of the New Year, Ethiopians congregate on streets outside churches and other religious buildings to greet one another informally.

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What about Christmas? -

Other dates unsuspecting visitors should be aware of include January 7. This date marks Christmas in Ethiopia, an occasion known as Genna.

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Genna in Ethiopia -

To witness Genna at its most sacred and traditional, make your way to Lalibela, famous for its rock-cut monolithic churches and for being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Time after time -

Another curious aspect of Ethiopia is the country's 12-hour clock system that runs from dawn to dusk.

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Dawn till dusk -

While most countries begin their day at midnight, Ethiopians use a 12-hour clock system that runs from dawn to dusk, beginning at 1 am. What most people outside the country would consider as 7 am, Ethiopians would identify as 1 am. But there is an exception to this rule.

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Keeping to a timetable -

Ethiopia's airline industry uses the Gregorian calendar so as to keep time with the rest of the world. It's also to ensure that foreign visitors don't have to worry about getting their flight times and dates mixed up!

Sources: (iNaturalist) (CNN) (Business Insider Africa)

See also: How a crack in Kenya could affect Africa

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