Why the Ethiopian Calendar Is 7 to 8 Years Behind the Rest of the World

When people say Ethiopia is seven or eight years behind the rest of the world, they are not talking about its level of development, they are talking about its calendar. Ethiopia does not follow the same calendar most of the world uses, which is the Gregorian calendar. Instead, it uses its own unique system known as the Ethiopian calendar, or Ge’ez calendar.

This calendar is not just a religious or cultural symbol, it is used in their everyday life. Government offices, schools, banks, and churches all use it to mark time. It shapes how Ethiopians plan events, celebrate festivals, and record history. The system has thirteen months, starts the new year in September, and counts years differently from the rest of the world making Ethiopia’s year number about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian one.

Thirteen Months in a Year

Ethiopian Calendar

The first major difference is in the structure. The Ethiopian calendar has thirteen months.

There are twelve months of exactly thirty days each, and then one small month called Pagumē, which has five days in a normal year and six days in a leap year. That makes the total 365 or 366 days, the same number of days as in the Gregorian year but arranged differently.

This design gives the Ethiopian calendar a neat rhythm. Every month has thirty days, and only the last one changes length. It makes it easy to count days, track salaries, plan harvests, and schedule religious fasts or feasts. This pattern has been used for centuries and is part of what makes the Ethiopian way of keeping time so distinctive.

When the Ethiopian Year Begins

The Ethiopian calendar year begins with a festival called Enkutatash, which means “gift of jewels.”

Enkutatash marks the end of the rainy season and the return of sunshine and flowers. It is a time of joy, singing, and family gatherings. Traditionally, people wear white cultural clothes, give flowers, and exchange greetings to welcome the new year.

Ethiopian New Year Celebration

Enkutatash falls on Meskerem 1 in the Ethiopian calendar, which usually corresponds to September 11 in the Gregorian calendar. In years when the following Gregorian year is a leap year, Enkutatash shifts to September 12. This September new year also explains part of the difference between the two calendars that is, the Ethiopian year begins several months after the Gregorian one, so the year numbers do not change at the same time.

Why the Ethiopian Year Number Is Seven or Eight Years Different

The most common question about Ethiopia’s calendar is, Why does Ethiopia say it is 2018 when the rest of the world says it is 2025?

The answer lies in how early Christians calculated the date of the birth or incarnation of Jesus Christ, the point in time from which the “year of our Lord” (Anno Domini) was counted.

In the early centuries of Christianity, different scholars used different calculations. An Egyptian scholar named Annianus of Alexandria used a system that placed the Annunciation, the moment when the angel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus, a few years later than the system later used in Europe. The European system, developed by Dionysius Exiguus, became the basis of the Gregorian calendar used around the world today.

Because Ethiopia followed the older Alexandrian method, its counting of years began several years after the European one. As a result, the Ethiopian calendar is seven to eight years behind.

From January to September, before the Ethiopian new year, the difference is eight years. From September to December, after the Ethiopian new year begins, the difference becomes seven years. So when it is September 2025 in the Gregorian calendar, Ethiopia has just entered the year 2018 according to its calendar.

Where the Calendar Came From

The Ethiopian calendar did not appear by chance. It grew out of the Coptic calendar used by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, which in turn came from the ancient Egyptian solar calendar. These systems were based on the movement of the sun and the Nile’s yearly flooding, which were vital for agriculture.

When Christianity spread into Ethiopia, the early Ethiopian church adopted the Coptic system but adapted it to local languages and customs. The result became what we now know as the Ethiopian calender or Ge’ez calendar, named after the ancient language still used in Ethiopian church liturgy.

This calendar keeps the Julian leap year rule, which simply says that every fourth year is a leap year. The Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, made more complicated adjustments to keep the calendar in closer alignment with the solar year. Ethiopia, however, never adopted these changes, so it continued with the older rule.

How Leap Years Work in Ethiopia

In the Ethiopian calendar system, every four years is a leap year. There are no exceptions or skipped leap years, as in the Gregorian calendar, which skips three leap years every 400 years.

In Ethiopian leap years, the thirteenth month, Pagumē, has six days instead of five. This pattern is simple and predictable, making it easy for people to remember.

This straightforward approach may not be as astronomically precise as the Gregorian one, but it has worked well for Ethiopian society for centuries and remains accurate enough for everyday use.

The Calendar in Daily Life

The Ethiopian calendar is not just a church calendar, it is the national civil calendar used in all parts of daily life.

Government offices issue official documents, identity cards, and licenses with Ethiopian dates. Schools follow the Ethiopian academic year. Newspapers print both Ethiopian and Gregorian dates, but the Ethiopian one usually appears first.

Farmers, traders, and families rely on it for agricultural seasons and traditional events. Many businesses, especially those working with international partners, use both calendars side by side, ensuring that contracts and appointments are clear to everyone.

Even Ethiopian airlines use the Gregorian calendar for international flight schedules but print Ethiopian dates on local tickets and receipts. The ability to use both calendars is a unique skill many Ethiopians develop naturally.

Cultural Meaning and National Identity

For Ethiopians, their calendar is part of who they are. It is a living link to their history, religion, and independence.

Ethiopia is one of the few African countries that was never colonized in the traditional sense. Because it kept its sovereignty and its own Orthodox Christian traditions, it was never forced to replace its calendar with the European one. That independence allowed it to maintain its traditional way of measuring time.

The calendar also keeps alive the Ge’ez language, since all month names Meskerem, Tikimt, Hidar, Tahsas, Tir, Yekatit, Megabit, Miazia, Ginbot, Sene, Hamle, Nehasse, and Pagumē come from Ge’ez. It also preserves the rhythm of Ethiopian festivals, such as Timkat (Epiphany), Meskel (the Finding of the True Cross), and Fasika (Easter).

In short, the calendar is more than a timekeeping tool, it is a cultural symbol that reflects Ethiopia’s faith, heritage, and pride.

How the Two Calendars Align in Practice

To understand the difference more clearly, consider this example.

Suppose it is September 10, 2025, in the Gregorian calendar. Ethiopia has not yet celebrated its New Year, so the Ethiopian date is still Pagumē 5, 2017. The next day, September 11, 2025, becomes Meskerem 1, 2018 in the Ethiopian calendar, the start of the new year.

For the rest of the world, 2025 continues normally, but in Ethiopia it is now 2018. That small shift in September is what keeps the Ethiopian year always trailing the Gregorian one by seven or eight years.

Using Both Calendars in Modern Ethiopia

Modern Ethiopians have learned to navigate between two systems smoothly. Phones, computers, and digital devices now include both calendars, allowing easy switching.

Ethiopians working abroad or communicating internationally usually use Gregorian dates, while at home, most still think in Ethiopian months and years. This dual understanding is now part of daily life.

For tourists, it can be confusing at first to see dates like “2017 E.C.” (Ethiopian Calendar) printed on newspapers or official signs, but it soon becomes fascinating to learn how another ancient system of timekeeping still thrives in the modern world.

The Meaning Behind Time in Ethiopian Culture

Time in Ethiopia carries deep cultural meaning. Traditional sayings connect time to seasons, faith, and patience. For example, many people refer to the thirteenth month as “the month of sunshine,” because it falls during the transition to the dry, sunny season.

The way Ethiopians keep time is also unique. The day is divided into twelve-hour cycles starting at sunrise rather than midnight. So when an Ethiopian says “it’s three o’clock,” it might mean three hours after sunrise which is actually nine o’clock in the Gregorian sense. This shows that Ethiopia’s approach to time is built around nature and daily life rather than imported systems.

A Living Legacy

The Ethiopian calendar stands as one of the oldest continuously used calendars in the world. It connects present-day Ethiopia to its ancient kingdoms, to the Christian world of late antiquity, and to Africa’s long history of astronomical observation.

For Ethiopians, celebrating the new year in September, using thirteen months, and living “seven years behind” is not strange, it is part of what makes their nation unique. The calendar is a reminder that Ethiopia has walked its own path through history, maintaining its faith, its culture, and its rhythm of life.

Conclusion

Ethiopia’s calendar is different from the rest of the world because it follows its own way of counting years and months, rooted in early Christian tradition and ancient Egyptian astronomy.

It has thirteen months, starts its year in September, and is about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. It uses a simple leap-year rule, every four years, and it continues to serve as both a civil and religious calendar.

More than a technical difference, it represents Ethiopia’s cultural pride, spiritual heritage, and independence. While the rest of the world may mark 2025, Ethiopians proudly celebrate 2018 showing that time itself can be a beautiful reflection of identity and tradition.

Related Topic: How Ethiopia Resisted Colonial Rule