A landlocked African country that has never been colonized has just celebrated New Year 2019; here’s why it is 7 years behind the world

While much of the world is living in 2026, Ethiopia has just welcomed 2019. The largest country on the Horn of Africa celebrated Enkutatash, its New Year, on September 11, 2026, which is also the beginning of a new year according to a calendar that remains roughly seven to eight years behind the Gregorian system used by most of the world.

This is a reflection of Ethiopia’s unique past, its religion and the way in which it used to measure time, which is one of the many cultural systems that have remained intact through the ages of its independence.

Why is Ethiopia in 2019, seven years behind the world?

The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months. The first 12 months contain 30 days each, while the 13th month, Pagumē, has only five days in a normal year and six during a leap year.

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The distinction between the two calendars results from the difference in calculation of the date of birth of Jesus Christ. The Ethiopian calendar is based on the Alexandrian chronology which was preserved by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, whereas the Western calendar is derived from the chronology of Dionysius Exiguus of the sixth century.

In this way, when the Gregorian calendar reached 2026, Ethiopia’s calendar moved into 2019. Its structure also reflects centuries of observing the natural world. Ancient Ethiopian writings in Ge’ez connect celestial observations, seasonal changes and the measurement of time, while agricultural communities relied heavily on seasonal patterns.

New Year arrives with the changing seasons

The New Year in Ethiopia is called Enkutatash, and it comes just as the country's major rainy season begins to fade. In some areas of the Ethiopian Highlands, yellow Adey Abeba flowers usually bloom during the time, thus making this festival have a unique season.

Most celebrations start on the New Year’s Eve when people prepare the chibo, a torch made of bundles of dried sticks and twigs that symbolize the coming of sunny days after the end of the rainy season.

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Thus, the New Year is linked to nature and to the family traditions. The months of the calendar, the rainy season, the blooming plants, agriculture seasons are all related to the celebration of Enkutatash.

A calendar influenced by Ethiopia’s history

The unusual calendar is another reminder of Ethiopia’s distinctive historical identity. The country is widely recognized as Africa’s oldest independent nation and famously defeated an invading Italian army at the Battle of Adwa in 1896, preserving its sovereignty during the Scramble for Africa.

Italy later invaded Ethiopia again in 1935 and occupied the country from 1936 to 1941. Ethiopian resistance, supported by British forces during World War II, eventually helped end the occupation and restore Emperor Haile Selassie.