Why is Ethiopia 7 years behind the rest of the world? (2024)

FAQs

Why is Ethiopia 7 years behind the rest of the world? ›

The main reason for this difference is that the Ethiopian Calendar

In Ethiopia, the birth year of Jesus Christ is recognized as seven or eight years later than the Gregorian, or “Western” calendar. New Year, or Enkutatash, is celebrated in September, when the Adey Abeba flower, indigenous to Ethiopia, blooms.

The Ethiopian calendar, based on calculations from the Coptic Church, starts in 7 BC, unlike the Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, which is based on calculations by Dionysius Exiguus. This difference results in the Ethiopian calendar being several years behind the Gregorian calendar.

Based upon the ancient Coptic Calendar, the Ethiopian Calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian Calendar, owing to alternate calculations in determining the date of the annunciation of the birth of Jesus.

While the rest of the world is currently living in 2022, in Ethiopia the year is currently 2014.

In Ethiopia the first month of the year is September and the last (thirteenth) month of the year is Pagumiene, which comes after August. Each month has 30 days (from September to August) and the thirteenth month, Pagumiene, has 5 days (6 days in a leap year).

About the beginning of the twentieth century, the plan was revived by Moses B. Cotsworth who eliminated the superfluous names, thereby simplifying the plan. The new thirteenth month was designated "Sol."

1) The year lasts 13 months

Not only that - the Ethiopian calendar is also seven years and eight months behind the Western calendar, making Saturday the start of 2014. This is because it calculates the birth year of Jesus Christ differently.

Discover the unique calendar systems in Japan, North Korea, Ethiopia, Thailand, and Israel, showcasing different years than 2024. Explore how these countries mark time differently.

Rules. The calendar year has 13 months with 28 days each, divided into exactly 4 weeks (13 × 28 = 364). An extra day added as a holiday at the end of the year (after December 28, i.e. equal to December 31 Gregorian), sometimes called "Year Day", does not belong to any week and brings the total to 365 days.

What was the original name of Ethiopia? ›

In English, and generally outside of Ethiopia, the country was historically known as Abyssinia. This toponym was derived from the Latinized form of the ancient Habash.

Religion in Ethiopia consists of a number of faiths. Among these mainly Abrahamic religions, the most numerous is Christianity (Ethiopian Orthodoxy, P'ent'ay, Roman Catholic) totaling at 67.3%, followed by Islam at 31.3%. There is also a longstanding but small Ethiopian Jewish community.

Apart from a five-year occupation by Mussolini's Italy, it has never been colonised. It has a unique cultural heritage, being the home of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church - one of the oldest Christian denominations - and a monarchy that ended only in the coup of 1974.

Rapid Population Growth

By 2050, Ethiopia's population is expected to double, reaching nearly 200 million. This surge will provide a substantial consumer base and workforce, fueling demand and production.

The Eritrean–Ethiopian War, also known as the Badme War, was a major armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea that took place from May 1998 to June 2000. After Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, relations were initially friendly.

While the idea that a trip to Ethiopia could make you “younger” is an amusing myth, it is important to remember that the calendar difference does not affect your actual age. It is simply a matter of how years are counted and recorded.

The Gregorian calendar and the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar have different dates for the birth of Christ. The Gregorian calendar places it between 1 B.C. and 1 A.D., while the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar sets it seven to eight years later. This difference in dates is why the years don't match between the two calendars.

Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. What are believed to be the oldest remains of a human ancestor ever found, which have been dated as being some five million years old, were discovered in the Awash Valley in Ethiopia.