New Delhi: Many of the world is nearing the tip of 2025, however there may be one nation that also lives within the yr 2017. This nation is Ethiopia. It follows a calendar referred to as the Ge’ez or Ethiopian calendar, which runs about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar utilized by a lot of the world. On this system, a yr has 13 months as an alternative of 12. Twelve months have 30 days every, and the thirteenth month has 5 or 6 days, relying on whether or not it’s a intercalary year.
Due to this, Ethiopia celebrates New 12 months in September, not January, and that makes it one of the distinctive international locations on the planet.
When a lot of the world celebrates on January 1, Ethiopians look ahead to September 11. In leap years, the celebration strikes to September 12. The day is named Enkutatash, that means “present of jewels”. The pageant marks the tip of the wet season and the start of sunshine and renewal. Even Christmas is well known in a different way right here, not on December 25, however on January 7.
Time Woven By Custom
Ethiopia’s distinctive calendar comes from its Orthodox Christian custom. The distinction in counting years lies in how the start of Jesus Christ is calculated. Whereas most Christian nations observe the Gregorian rely that begins from what they consider to be the yr of Christ’s start, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church believes Jesus was born seven years earlier. That calculation shifted the timeline, and Ethiopia stayed with its historical rely.
At the same time as international commerce and governance function on the Gregorian system, most Ethiopians proceed to dwell their day by day lives by the Ge’ez calendar. Banks, colleges and authorities workplaces typically show each dates aspect by aspect, one for the world, one for Ethiopia.
A Totally different Sense Of Time
Even the day begins right here in a different way. Whereas most international locations begin counting the day at midnight, Ethiopians start their day at dawn. What the world calls 6 a.m., Ethiopians name 12 o’clock. When it’s midday on the worldwide clock, it’s 6 p.m. in Ethiopia. The timing system is a mirrored image of how life revolves round daylight and nature.
A Nation Aside
Ethiopia is not only distinctive in timekeeping. It additionally stands aside in historical past. It’s the solely African nation by no means colonised by European powers. Its tradition stays deeply rooted in custom, spirituality and self-identity. The nation is house to historical rock-hewn church buildings, wealthy Orthodox Christian rituals and one of many world’s oldest culinary traditions based mostly on fasting and vegetarian dishes.
Ethiopia can also be well-known because the cradle of humankind. The fossil of Lucy, one of many earliest identified human ancestors, was found right here in 1974. Surrounded by Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan, its land varieties the centre of the Horn of Africa, a area steeped in historical past and fantasy.
Calendar As Id
The Ge’ez calendar is greater than a measure of time. It’s a part of Ethiopia’s identification. It shapes festivals, farming seasons and non secular observances. It hyperlinks the folks to their ancestors and religion. For Ethiopians, being seven years behind the world just isn’t an obstacle. It’s a mark of satisfaction, a reminder that point, like tradition, is made by folks, not by energy.
Ethiopia’s clock could tick slower than the remainder of the world, however its heritage runs deep. In its 13-month yr, the nation holds a timeless fact: each civilisation creates its personal rhythm and each tradition defines its personal time.