Ethiopian Calendar
The unique 13-month calendar used in Ethiopia and Eritrea
About the Ethiopian Calendar
The Ethiopian calendar is the principal calendar used in Ethiopia and also serves as the liturgical calendar for Christians in Eritrea and Ethiopia. It has 13 months - 12 months of 30 days each, plus a 13th month called Ṗagume with 5 or 6 days. The Ethiopian year is currently 2018, approximately 7-8 years behind the Gregorian calendar due to different calculations of Jesus Christ's birth date.
📅 Key Features
- 13 Months - Twelve months of exactly 30 days, plus Ṗagume with 5-6 days
- 7-8 Years Behind - Ethiopian year 2018 corresponds to Gregorian 2025-2026
- New Year in September - Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash) falls on September 11 (or 12 in leap years)
- Based on Coptic Calendar - Shares origins with the ancient Egyptian calendar
- Still Widely Used - Official calendar of Ethiopia alongside Gregorian
📆 The Thirteen Months
- Mäskäräm (መስከረም) - 30 days - First month, New Year month
- Ṭəqəmt (ጥቅምት) - 30 days - Second month
- Ḫədar (ኅዳር) - 30 days - Third month
- Taḫśaś (ታኅሣሥ) - 30 days - Fourth month
- Ṭərr (ጥር) - 30 days - Fifth month
- Yäkatit (የካቲት) - 30 days - Sixth month
- Mägabit (መጋቢት) - 30 days - Seventh month
- Miyazya (ሚያዝያ) - 30 days - Eighth month
- Gənbo (ግንቦት) - 30 days - Ninth month
- Säne (ሰኔ) - 30 days - Tenth month
- Ḥamle (ሐምሌ) - 30 days - Eleventh month
- Nähase (ነሐሴ) - 30 days - Twelfth month
- Ṗagume (ጳጉሜን) - 5 or 6 days - Thirteenth month (intercalary)
🎉 Major Ethiopian Holidays & Festivals
- 1 Mäskäräm - Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) - Celebrates spring and new beginnings
- 27 Mäskäräm - Meskel (Finding of the True Cross) - Major religious celebration with bonfires
- 7 Taḫśaś - Genna (Ethiopian Christmas) - Celebrated with church services and traditional foods
- 11 Ṭərr - Timkat (Epiphany) - Colorful celebration with processions and water ceremonies
- Varies in Miyazya - Fasika (Ethiopian Easter) - Most important religious holiday
⏰ Why Seven Years Different?
The Ethiopian calendar is based on the ancient Alexandrian or Coptic calendar, which in turn derives from the Egyptian calendar. The 7-8 year difference from the Gregorian calendar comes from an alternative calculation of the date of the Annunciation. Ethiopian Orthodox tradition holds that Jesus was born 5,500 years after the creation of the world, different from the calculation used by the Roman Catholic Church.
🌍 Cultural Significance
Ethiopia is one of the few African countries that was never colonized, and it has maintained its unique calendar and cultural traditions through the centuries. The Ethiopian calendar is deeply intertwined with the country's Orthodox Christian faith and cultural identity. Time in Ethiopia is also different - the Ethiopian clock starts at dawn (6 AM Gregorian = 12 AM Ethiopian).
🕐 Ethiopian Time System
In addition to its unique calendar, Ethiopia uses a 12-hour clock that starts at dawn (around 6 AM) rather than midnight. So when it's 7 AM Gregorian time, it's 1 AM Ethiopian time. This system reflects the tropical climate where day and night are roughly equal in length throughout the year.