Let’s get to know the Ethiopian calendar — a unique system with 13 months and New Year’s Day celebrated in September.
At Ling, we believe understanding calendars like this isn’t just about dates — it’s about unlocking cultural fluency, especially when you’re learning Amharic.
This system may seem intimidating at first… but it’s surprisingly easy to understand once you break down the basics. Let’s crack the code and discover why millions follow the Ethiopian calendar daily Let’s get down to crackin’ the code and learn why millions of people follow the Ethiopian calendar daily.
The Ethiopian Calendar System
While the rest of the world follows the Gregorian calendar (twelve months in a year, seven days in a week), the Ethiopian calendar follows a different system. Ye-Ityop’iya zemen a qo ṭa ṭer (የኢትዮጵያ ዘመን አቆጣጠር) is one of the oldest timekeeping systems used today that follows an ancient calculation system similar to the Egyptian Coptic calendar.
They still have 365 days a year, 366 days in a Gregorian leap year, but in a completely different timeline.
The Ethiopian Calendar Is 7 Years Behind
Unlike the Gregorian system, the Ethiopian calculation uses older sources. This goes back to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s belief that Jesus Christ was born in 7 BC, about 5,500 years after God’s promise of a savior to Adam and Eve.
The Gregorian calendar, on the other hand, celebrates Jesus’ birth on December 25, a date established by the 4th-century Church to align with existing Roman festivals.
This disagreement in establishing Christ’s birth created the 7-8 year difference. But this gap is not constant throughout the Gregorian calendar. From January 1 until September 10 or 11, the one Ethiopian year is 8 years less than the Gregorian year. Then, throughout the remainder of the Gregorian year, that difference goes down to 7 years.
The Ethiopian Calendar Year Has 13 Months
The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months compared to the usual 12 months of the Gregorian. This is largely because the first 12 months have exactly 30 days, leaving the 13th month, Pagume, with only five or six days (leap year).
Thus, you have 365 days in a regular Ethiopian year, and 366 days during a leap year, matching that of the solar calendar.
Ethiopian Months Tell A Story
The Gregorian calendar months are named after Roman gods and goddesses. The Ethiopian calendar months, on the other hand, closely reflect the stages of their agricultural cycle.
For example, the first month, Meskerem (September in the Gregorian system), is their Enkutatash, or Ethiopian New Year. This happens after the rainy season, when the land is green and in full bloom.
Pagume, with only 5-6 days in it, serves as a pause before the new year starts. With its name coming from the Greek epagomene, meaning “days forgotten,” Ethiopians use this time to rest, reflect, and prepare for the new annual cycle.
Here’s a complete list of the 13 Ethiopian months, written both in the Amharic alphabet and Romanized forms:
| English | Amharic | Pronunciation | Agricultural Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| September-October | መስከረም | Meskerem (MES-keh-rehm) | Start of the rainy season, planting begins |
| October-November | ጥቅምት | Tikimt (tuh-KIMT) | Sowing, initial growth |
| November-December | ኅዳር | Hidar (huh-DAR) | Sowing, early growth |
| December-January | ታኅሣሥ | Tahsas (tah-SAS) | Main planting/growth period (Kremt) |
| January-February | ጥር | T’ər (teer) | Main planting/growth period (Kremt) |
| February-March | የካቲት | Yekatit (yeh-KAH-teet) | Preparation for harvest |
| March-April | መጋቢት | Megabit (meh-GAH-bit) | Start of harvesting |
| April-May | ሚያዝያ | Miazia (mee-AH-zee-ah) | Continue harvest |
| May-June | ግንቦት | Ginbot (GUN-bot) | Continue harvest + prepare for new planting |
| June-July | ሰኔ | Sene (seh-NAY) | Short, dry period (preparation) |
| July-August | ሐምሌ | Hamle (ham-LAY) | Short, dry period (preparation) |
| August-September | ነሐሴ | Nehasse (neh-HAH-seh) | Short, dry period (preparation before the new year) |
| Short Month (5-6 extra days after August) | ጳጐሜን | Pagume (PAH-goo-me) | Supplemental month (adjustments) |
Want to hear more Amharic words pronounced by native speakers and practice them in context? The Ling app’s Amharic course includes audio recordings, sentence-building exercises, and cultural notes for every term
The Ethiopian Leap Year Cycle Is Named After The Four Evangelists
The Ethiopian calendar also has a leap year after every four years. However, each year is named after the four Evangelists, reflecting the culture’s close ties with the Orthodox Church.
- 1st year: John-year
- 2nd year: Matthew-year
- 3rd year: Mark-year
- 4th year (the year that includes the extra 6th day of Pagume): Luke-year
The Days Of The Week In The Ethiopian Calendar
The Ethiopian calendar also follows the 7-day system of the Gregorian calendar.
| English | Amharic | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday (First day) | እሁድ | ‘əhud (eh-HOOD) |
| Monday (Second day) | ሰኞ | Säño (seh-NYO) |
| Tuesday (Third day) | ማክሰኞ | Maksäño (mahk-seh-NYO) |
| Wednesday (Fourth day) | እሮብ | ərob (eh-ROHB) |
| Thursday (Fifth day) | ሐሙስ | Hämus (HAH-moos) |
| Friday (Sixth day) | ዓርብ | Ärb (AHRB) |
| Saturday (Seventh day) | ቅዳሜ | Qədame (kee-DAH-meh) |
How To Say The Dates In Amharic
Writing dates in Amharic has a different logical order compared to English: day-month-year. However, the month is written in its full Amharic name, while the day and year are written as numbers.
For example:
- 15 መስከረም (Meskerem) 2025 – 15th of Meskerem, year 2025
You can also take this chance to practice counting using Amharic numbers.
Major Holidays In The Ethiopian Calendar
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, one of the oldest Christian traditions, has a major influence on the festivals and public holidays of Ethiopia. Here are some must-remember public holidays in the Ethiopian calendar:
| Holiday | Amharic | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) | እንቁጣጣሽ | Literally meaning “gift of jewels,” it marks the end of the rainy season, symbolizing renewal and new beginnings. |
| Meskel (The Finding of the True Cross) | መስቀል | Held on September 27 (Gregorian), commemorating the discovery of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. |
| Genna (Ethiopian Christmas) | ገና | Celebrated on January 7 (Gregorian) |
| Timkat (Epiphany) | ጥምቀት | Celebrated on January 19 (Gregorian), commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ |
| Fasika (Ethiopian Easter) | ፋሲካ | Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after a 55-day Semune Himamat (fasting period) |
How Do You Say Calendar In Amharic?
The Amharic word for “calendar” is ቀን መቁጠሪያ (yeqen mequteria, pronounced yeh-ken meh-koo-TEH-ree-ah).
It is a combination of የቀን (yeqen), which means “date” or “day, and መቁጠሪያ (mequteria), which means “calculator” or “counter.”
Amharic Vocabulary Related To The Ethiopian Calendar
Now that you have uncovered some exciting facts about the Ethiopian calendar, it’s time you deepen your understanding further with other related Amharic vocabulary.
| English | Amharic | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Ethiopian calendar | የኢትዮጵያ ዘመን አቆጣጠር | Ye’Ityōṗṗyā zemen āḳoṭaṭer (yeh-ee-tyoh-PYAH zeh-men ah-koh-ta-ter) |
| Month | ወርሐ | Wär (WEHR) |
| Day | ቀን | Qen (ken) |
| Year | አመቴ | Ametē (ah-meh-TEH) |
| Church computation system | ባሕረ ሐሳብ | Bahre Hasab (BAH-hreh HAH-sahb) |
| Rainy season | ክረምት | Kiremt (kee-REMT) |
| Dry season | በጋ | Bega (BEH-gah) |
| Spring season | ጸዳይ | Tseday (tseh-DYE) |
| Today | ዛሬ | Zare (ZAH-reh) |
| Yesterday | ትናንት | Tenante (teh-NAHN-t) |
| Tomorrow | ነገ | Nägä (neh-GEH) |
Tips For Exploring Ethiopian Time
Getting used to the Ethiopian calendar can feel off at first, but learning it will make your Amharic language journey more fun and meaningful. But before you start, here are some tips to make the most out of this topic:
- Learn the 13 Ethiopian months by creating simple flashcards with the month spelled in Amharic. Include their pronunciation, as well as their equivalent in the Western calendar.
- Practice date conversions with the help of online Ethiopian calendar converters. Use your date of birth and other significant dates for easier recall.
- Create your own calendar in Amharic (Ge’ez script). Writing in language learning has been known to increase retention through muscle movements.
- Write a daily journal, with the dates written in both Amharic and Western formats. This builds rhythm while practicing the language.
- Study Unit 19 of the Ling app‘s Amharic course. This unit covers all the relevant terms about time to better prepare for your trip to Ethiopia.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Ethiopian Calendar
Why Is the Ethiopian New Year In September?
Enkutatash, or the Ethiopian New Year, falls in September because it is the start of the Ethiopian calendar. For one, September is the end of the rainy season and the blooming of the flowers, which symbolize renewal. Another reason is that September has an equal length of day and night. Apart from that, there is an Ethiopian belief that the world was created in September.
When Was Jesus Born According To The Ethiopian Calendar?
If Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebrates Genna (the birth of Jesus) on the 29th of the month of Tahsas in the Ethiopian calendar. This corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar.
How To Convert the Ethiopian Calendar To the Gregorian Calendar?
There is no single, simple equation to manually convert the Ethiopian calendar to Gregorian. To get the exact date requires a set of complex calculations to account for the difference in their calendar structures and leap year rules. The simplest and most common way to do this is to use online date conversion tools.
Ethiopian Calendar: Where Time Meets Tradition
From a September New Year to the extra month called Pagumen, the Ethiopian calendar shows the unique identity of Ethiopia. Quirky it may seem, but it’s a good way to learn how every culture in the world has its own way of organizing life.
From here, continue exploring more words, phrases, and Amharic greetings to make your stay in Ethiopia more fulfilling.
Your Amharic Adventure Starts With Ling!
The Ethiopian calendar is just the entryway to everything Ethiopian. If you’re having so much fun learning behind the scenes of this calendar system, go deeper in Amharic with Ling!
Ling’s Amharic course, you’ll find dedicated bite-sized lessons on time, dates, and more, all designed with input from native speakers. You can learn practical Amharic vocabulary and review it later with Flashcards. Key terms can also be saved in My Vocabulary for easier access. Even if you miss a day of learning, Streak Saver saves your progress to help you stay motivated.
So, why wait? Download Ling and be amazed at how fluent you can be in Amharic in just 7 days!
