On September 11th, Ethiopians will usher in a new year, but according to their unique calendar, it will be 2017. This difference of nearly eight years might leave you wondering: why the gap?
Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, adheres to its timekeeping system - a tradition rooted in centuries of history and a strong sense of national identity. This unique calendar presents interesting challenges in a globally connected world that largely operates on a different timeline. Let's delve deeper and explore how Ethiopians navigate this difference.
Ethiopia's temporal system exhibits a notable disparity with the globally adopted Gregorian calendar. This divergence stems from a historical difference in the calculation of Jesus Christ's birth year, with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church adhering to an earlier reckoning that places the event seven to eight years later compared to the Gregorian calendar, CNN Travel reported.
The roots of this discrepancy lie in the mid-sixth century when the Roman Church implemented a calendrical reform. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church, however, opted to retain the established calculations. While the Gregorian calendar gained widespread acceptance, Ethiopia's commitment to its traditional system reflects a deep-seated cultural and religious heritage.
"We are unique," says Eshetu Getachew, CEO of Rotate Ethiopia Tours And Travel. "We [were] never colonized. We have our own calendar. We have our own alphabet. We have our own cultural traditions."
Boasting a history that likely stretches back 1,500 years, the Ethiopian Calendar shares close ties with the Coptic calendar used by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Both calendars adhere to a solar-lunar system, comprising 13 months. Twelve of these months have 30 days each, while the final month acts as a sort of timekeeper, with 5 days in a regular year and 6 days during a leap year. This unique structure reflects the deep-rooted traditions that continue to shape Ethiopia's cultural landscape.
Many Ethiopians navigate a dual calendar system due to the presence of international businesses and schools that operate on the Gregorian calendar.
In Ethiopia, the widespread use of the Gregorian calendar by international organizations necessitates that many Ethiopians maintain awareness of both the traditional Ethiopian calendar and the Western calendar.
The coexistence of international entities using the Gregorian calendar within Ethiopia creates a situation where many Ethiopians must function using both the Ethiopian and Western calendars.
"It's very difficult," Ethiopian archaeologist Goitom W. Tekle, currently based in Germany, tells CNN Travel. "I still can't switch into one... It's quite a challenge.
"I need to think of the hours, the days. Sometimes the months, and sometimes even the year."
Tekle highlights the complexities faced by institutions that operate in Ethiopia. Due to the presence of two calendars, these institutions must constantly switch between the Ethiopian and Gregorian systems when corresponding with Ethiopians, particularly those in rural areas or abroad. Even seemingly straightforward tasks, like applying for a birth certificate, can become entangled in the need to reconcile the two dating systems.
"Let's say, a baby is three years old, and you file for their birth certificate with the city or with the local government," says German historian Verena Krebs, who specializes in medieval European and African history.
"And then you state according to the Ethiopian system of time, and then you have to trust that the clerk does the conversion well.
"So there are certain variables, which can then result in doubled or tripled birthdays."
Tekle acknowledges that using two calendars might seem strange to outsiders, but it's become second nature to her.
"You just adapt to the system," she says. "You switch from one to the other. So you're not even actively aware anymore that this is a thing that people might find striking because it's become so normal."
While Israel marks time with the Hebrew calendar, Saudi Arabia has recently embraced the Gregorian calendar for official use, departing from its traditional reliance on the Hijri calendar with its shorter year.
