The calendar is an important aspect of everyday life in Ethiopia, and so is the question of what year it is in Ethiopia. Luckily, there are several ways to answer this question. One way is to look at the Gregorian and Coptic calendars. Both of these calendars are used in this country, but the Gregorian calendar has more significance.
Ethiopian calendar
The Ethiopian calendar is a solar calendar based on the Egyptian calendar. It is the official calendar of the Orthodox Tewahido Church in Ethiopia.
Besides being used for civil purposes, the Ethiopian calendar is also used as an ecclesiastical calendar. This is due to the similarities of the calendar to the Coptic calendar.
There are thirteen months in the Ethiopian calendar. Usually, each month has thirty days, although there are sometimes five or six days in a leap year.
An intercalary month occurs at the end of the Ethiopian year. These are called Pagume and are five or six days long.
A leap year occurs every four years. In addition, the Ethiopian calendar adds a day to the year on certain occasions.
Gregorian calendar
When it comes to a calendar, the Ethiopian calendar and the Gregorian calendar have their share of differences. Both of these calendars are based on the Egyptian solar calendar. However, there are many similarities between the two.
Among the differences, the Ethiopian calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. This is because the Ethiopian system of timekeeping is based on alternate calculations for the birth date of Jesus Christ.
The Gregorian calendar was created by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. It is a simple calendar that uses only twelve months of thirty days each, with the exception of a leap year.
Coptic calendar
Ethiopia’s Coptic calendar is not to be confused with its ancient Egyptian calendar. It is a calendar of dates for religious and other rituals. The Ethiopian calendar differs from the Julian calendar by 276 years.
Ethiopia uses its own calendar, but it has an important relationship with the Coptic Church. The Coptic church, however, does not use the Gregorian calendar. Rather, it uses the Amete Alem (also known as the “period of the world”), which is a 365-day calendar.
Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Ethiopian calendar is a leap year calendar. Each year begins on the same date as the Gregorian calendar, but in a leap year, there are six days added to each of the last three months.
Julian calendar
Ethiopia’s primary calendar is called the “Ethiopic” calendar. It is a variation of the Julian calendar. The name is a combination of the ancient Egyptian word “Ethiop” and the Coptic word for “calendar”. In addition to its astronomical origins, the Ethiopian calendar also has historical roots.
The origins of the calendar date back to the Orthodox Tewahido Church in Ethiopia. During the eighth century, Christian scholars proposed to number years from the birth of Jesus. This idea was accepted by the rest of the church. They were concerned that the year was drifting away from the spring origins of the holiday.
Dionysius Exiguus, a sixth-century monk, invented the concept of Anno Domini, or the “year of the Lord.” He calculated that Jesus was born in AD 1, not the previous date.
Epiphany (themeqate)
The epiphany of Jesus Christ is not the first time the Christian world has celebrated a holiday. It started in 530 AD during the reign of Emperor Gebre Meskel. One of the most important Epiphany ceremonies is the nativity of Christ. There are many celebrations that take place all over the country.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) is the lynchpin of the celebrations. Although the EOC is not the largest in size, it has the highest concentration of followers and a vast number of churches. This makes the Epiphany a great opportunity to witness the various aspects of the Ethiopian faith. In fact, the Epiphany is the most widely celebrated festival in the country and has been dubbed the Camelot of Africa.
Easter (themeqate)
Easter (themeqate) is the most important and widely celebrated religious holiday in Ethiopia. It is a time for communities to come together and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The event is so large that it is celebrated by all Christian denominations. This is one of the most observant and religious countries in the world. Thousands of faithful are expected to join the Easter festivities today.
Fasika is a great way for Ethiopians to showcase their religious piety. It is a 55-day celebration in honor of the resurrection of Christ. One of the best parts of this observance is the fact that it is also a time for visitors to the country to join the fun.
