1. The first day of the year is on September 11th
The Ethiopian calendar, unlike the Gregorian’s calendar, is composed of 13 Months. While the 12 months have 30 days each, the 13th month named Pagume has regularly five days but changes to six days every leap year, this year it has six days.
The month of September shows different signs that explain the beginning of the New Year such as: the time where the blooming flowers are seen everywhere, the rainy and foggy weather lives and the pleasant sunny days return. School also starts in September, right after the Holiday. Meskerem is a new start for every ethiopian.
As such, the Ethiopian New Year starts in September, or Meskerem in the local language, not in January.
2. It’s a Special Holiday For Girls
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Photo credit: Rod Wadington |
During this holiday, a traditional song called “Abebayehosh” is performed by groups of Ethiopian girls who approach their neighborhood families to extend best wishes for the New Year and in return they receive blessings and few pennies from the elders. The girls sing back wishing more riches and good fortune for the coming year.
Young boys participate in this holiday by showing off their artistic talent: on new year day they offer their paintings, mostly of flowers, or angels, to family members, neighbors and friends.
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Best wishes sharing for Ethiopian New Year coloring book |
3. It Commemorates the Queen Sheba's / Nigist Saba's returning from Solomon's visit
The Ethiopian New Year holiday is known as “Enkutatash” which means the ‘gift of jewels’ as stated in legends. “King Solomon of Jerusalem gave the Queen of Sheba jewelery during her Historic visit to Jerusalem some 3,000 years ago. Her return to Ethiopia after receiving the gift coincided with the New Year celebration in September, and hence the name Enkutatash came to be.”
4. Every year commemorates an evangile
Kidus Yohannes, Kidus Matheos, Kidus Markos, Kidus Luqas.
The current year (2014 in Ethiopian Calendar) is the year of Marqos. Starting from September 11th 2022 to September 10th 2023, we will be in the year of Luqas or Zemene Luqas.
5. It’s a family time
People gather to savore doro wot, a national dish which takes at least five hours to be prepared. Defo dabo is baked. Local alcoholic beverages such as Tela or Tej are prepared.
Chicken or lamb is slaugtered. Otherwise meat is bought from sega bet. There’s no holiday without meat. Celebrations for the Ethiopian New Year are usually focused on family events and tend to last a week or more. The holiday starts on New Year’s Eve when each household comes together to light wooden torches, which symbolize the coming of the new season of sunshine after the end of the rainy season.
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