Ethiopia is welcoming the New Year today, September 11, 2026, with celebrations marking Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year.
While much of the world observes January 1 as the beginning of a new year, Ethiopia follows its own traditional calendar. This means that the country is beginning 2019 today, rather than 2026.
The celebration is taking place across Ethiopia and among Ethiopian communities around the world. Families and friends traditionally come together for meals, greetings, music, and festivities. Religious observances also form an important part of the occasion for many Ethiopians.
Enkutatash is more than simply a change of date. It is a cultural tradition connected to Ethiopia’s distinctive calendar, history, and religious heritage.
How Is Ethiopia Celebrating New Year Today?
Enkutatash is traditionally a time for families to come together and welcome a fresh beginning.
Many Ethiopians attend church services as part of the New Year celebrations, particularly within communities where the holiday has a strong religious significance. Families then gather for meals and spend time visiting relatives and friends.
Traditional Ethiopian food is an important part of the celebrations. Dishes such as injera and wat are commonly associated with festive family gatherings, while celebrations may also include music, dancing and other cultural activities.
Children also have a special place in Enkutatash celebrations. Young girls are traditionally associated with singing New Year songs and presenting flowers to family members, friends and neighbours.
The holiday is also associated with the arrival of spring-like conditions in the Ethiopian highlands. September marks the end of the main rainy season in much of Ethiopia, and the landscape can become particularly green and colourful. The yellow Adey Abeba flower, which blooms around this time, is strongly associated with the season and the New Year.
Enkutatash is therefore both a celebration of the calendar and a symbolic moment of renewal.
What Is Enkutatash?
Enkutatash is the Amharic name commonly used for the Ethiopian New Year.
The holiday takes place on Meskerem 1, the first day of the first month in the Ethiopian calendar.
In the Gregorian calendar, Meskerem 1 normally falls on September 11. In certain years, it falls on September 12 because of the difference between the Ethiopian and Gregorian leap-year systems.
The name Enkutatash is commonly translated as “gift of jewels.”
A traditional Ethiopian story connects the name with the Queen of Sheba, known in Ethiopian tradition as Makeda. According to the story, when she returned from her journey to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, she was welcomed with gifts of jewels.
The historical details of this story belong to Ethiopian tradition rather than established modern historical evidence, but the story remains an important part of the cultural understanding of Enkutatash.
Why Is Ethiopia Entering 2019 While the Rest of the World Is in 2026?
One of the most interesting things about Ethiopia’s New Year is the difference in year numbering.
Today, Ethiopia begins 2019 on the Ethiopian calendar, even though the internationally used Gregorian calendar says 2026. The difference comes from the way the Ethiopian calendar calculates the date of the birth or incarnation of Jesus Christ.
The Ethiopian calendar developed from the ancient Alexandrian or Coptic calendar, which itself has roots in older Egyptian calendrical traditions. Its system for calculating the Christian era differs from the calculation that eventually became standard in Western Europe.
As a result, the Ethiopian calendar is approximately seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar, depending on the time of year. This is why an Ethiopian date can appear several years earlier than its equivalent Gregorian date.
Ethiopia Has 13 Months
Perhaps the most famous feature of the Ethiopian calendar is that it has 13 months. The first 12 months each contain exactly 30 days.
The remaining days of the year are placed into a short 13th month called Pagume. Pagume normally has five days. During an Ethiopian leap year, it has six.
This gives the Ethiopian calendar a simple and distinctive structure:
- 12 months × 30 days = 360 days
- Pagume = 5 or 6 additional days
- Total = 365 or 366 days
The system therefore keeps the calendar aligned with the solar year while maintaining its unusual 13-month structure.
What Are the Months in the Ethiopian Calendar?
The Ethiopian calendar begins with Meskerem, the month in which Enkutatash takes place.
The 13 months are:
- Meskerem
- Tikimt
- Hidar
- Tahsas
- Tir
- Yekatit
- Megabit
- Miazia
- Ginbot
- Sene
- Hamle
- Nehasse
- Pagume
Unlike the Gregorian calendar, where months have different numbers of days, the first 12 Ethiopian months all contain 30 days.
Why Does the Ethiopian New Year Fall in September?
The Ethiopian New Year begins in September because of the Ethiopian calendar’s structure and its relationship to the ancient Alexandrian calendar.
Meskerem 1 corresponds to September 11 on the Gregorian calendar for most years in the current period. It moves to September 12 in the year before a Gregorian leap year.
For 2026, however, Enkutatash falls on Friday, September 11. That makes September 11 the first day of the Ethiopian year 2019.
What is the history behind Ethiopia’s Calendar?
The Ethiopian calendar has a long history connected to the wider calendrical traditions of the ancient Mediterranean and northeastern Africa. It is closely related to the Coptic calendar used by the Coptic Christian tradition in Egypt. Both calendars have 12 months of 30 days followed by a short additional period of five or six days.
The Ethiopian system also retains a leap-year pattern that differs from the modern Gregorian calendar. The calendar’s era calculation is one of the main reasons for the difference in year numbering.
According to historical explanations of the Ethiopian calendar, Christian calculations made by different traditions placed the date of the Annunciation and the beginning of the Christian era differently. The Ethiopian system retained the older calculation associated with the Alexandrian tradition, while the Western Christian world eventually adopted another calculation.
That difference became responsible for the seven-to-eight-year gap between the Ethiopian and Gregorian calendars.
Is the Ethiopian Calendar Still Used Today?
Yes. The Ethiopian calendar remains an important part of everyday life in Ethiopia. It is used for dates, holidays, and cultural traditions, while the Gregorian calendar is also widely encountered in international business, diplomacy, and other settings.
The Ethiopian calendar is particularly important for religious observances and national and cultural celebrations. It is also part of Ethiopia’s distinctive national identity.
Ethiopia is not simply following an outdated version of the calendar used elsewhere. It has maintained its own calendrical system as part of a much longer historical and cultural tradition.
Enkutatash Is More Than a New Year Celebration
For many Ethiopians, Enkutatash represents renewal, family and hope. It comes at a significant seasonal moment, when the heavy rains of the preceding months begin to give way to brighter conditions in many parts of the country. Flowers begin to appear, families gather, and communities mark the beginning of another year.
The celebration also provides an opportunity to preserve traditions that have been passed from one generation to another. From church services and family meals to songs, flowers, and traditional greetings, Enkutatash combines religious, cultural, and seasonal elements.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ethiopian New Year
When is Ethiopian New Year 2026?
Ethiopian New Year, or Enkutatash, is being celebrated on September 11, 2026.
What year is it in Ethiopia in 2026?
The Ethiopian calendar enters 2019 on September 11, 2026.
Why is Ethiopia seven years behind?
The difference comes from different calculations used to determine the beginning of the Christian era. The Ethiopian calendar follows the Alexandrian tradition, resulting in a difference of approximately seven to eight years from the Gregorian calendar.
Does Ethiopia really have 13 months?
Yes. The Ethiopian calendar has 12 months of 30 days each, followed by a 13th month called Pagume, which has five days or six during a leap year.
What does Enkutatash mean?
Enkutatash is commonly translated as “gift of jewels.” The name is associated with a traditional story about the Queen of Sheba’s return to Ethiopia after visiting King Solomon.
Is Enkutatash a religious holiday?
Enkutatash has both religious and cultural significance. Many Ethiopians attend church services, while families and communities also celebrate through meals, music, social gatherings, and traditional customs.
When does Ethiopian New Year usually fall?
Ethiopian New Year normally falls on September 11 in the Gregorian calendar. In certain years, it falls on September 12 because of the relationship between the Ethiopian and Gregorian leap-year systems.