Did you know that it's currently the year 2017 in Ethiopia, A Country in East Africa?
While it's September 14, 2024, in most parts of the world, in Ethiopia, it's January 4, 2017. If you were to travel there today, you would notice that you're about 7 years and 8 months behind the current global calendar.
It almost sounds like time travel, doesn't it? But there's more to it. While we're used to a year having 12 months, the Ethiopian calendar has 13 months. They don't follow the varying lengths of months like 28, 29, 30, or 31 days. Instead, their first 12 months all have 30 days, and the leftover days are combined to form a 13th month. In a leap year, that 13th month has six days.
The reason for this is Ethiopia’s unique calendar. Most of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, adopted by the Roman Church around 500 AD, but the Ethiopian Orthodox Church decided to stick with their traditional system. This calendar remains in use, and the people of Ethiopia view it as a part of their religious beliefs, cultural identity, and national pride. As Ethiopian photographer Abel Gasho says, "Ethiopia is a very conservative Christian country. Most people here don’t care much about what's happening in the rest of the world."
Ishitu Getashu, CEO of Rotat Ethiopia Tours and Travel, adds, “We are independent. We've never been colonized. We have our own calendar, alphabet, and cultural heritage.”
While it's September 14, 2024, in most parts of the world, in Ethiopia, it's January 4, 2017. If you were to travel there today, you would notice that you're about 7 years and 8 months behind the current global calendar.
It almost sounds like time travel, doesn't it? But there's more to it. While we're used to a year having 12 months, the Ethiopian calendar has 13 months. They don't follow the varying lengths of months like 28, 29, 30, or 31 days. Instead, their first 12 months all have 30 days, and the leftover days are combined to form a 13th month. In a leap year, that 13th month has six days.
The reason for this is Ethiopia’s unique calendar. Most of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, adopted by the Roman Church around 500 AD, but the Ethiopian Orthodox Church decided to stick with their traditional system. This calendar remains in use, and the people of Ethiopia view it as a part of their religious beliefs, cultural identity, and national pride. As Ethiopian photographer Abel Gasho says, "Ethiopia is a very conservative Christian country. Most people here don’t care much about what's happening in the rest of the world."
Ishitu Getashu, CEO of Rotat Ethiopia Tours and Travel, adds, “We are independent. We've never been colonized. We have our own calendar, alphabet, and cultural heritage.”
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