Ethiopia is the only African country to have its own form of ancient calendar system that has survived for thousand years. This ancient calendar is said to have been developed from other oldest calendars mainly the Julian and the ancient Egyptian (Coptic) calendar systems though it is unique with no resemblance in the world today.
Differences, the Eastern Orthodox and the Ethiopian Orthodox Churches did not accept the Gregorian calendar. Instead, they have continued to use the Julian calendar based system with lunar tables for calculating Easter together with other religious and cultural holidays.
The year of Ethiopian calendar contains 365 days into which an extra day is added in every fourth year and thus it becomes 366 days in this year. Each year is divided into 13 months. The first month of the year is September and the last (the 13) month is Pagumiene, which comes after August.
Each month (from September to August) has 30 days and the 13* month Pagumiene has 5 days and /or 6 days in a leap year (every four years). The Ethiopian leap day is Pagumiene 6.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has played the major role in initiating, developing and maintaining the Ethiopian calendar system. According to the Church, the calendar in general and its holidays in particular are calculated based on the traditional document called Bahre Hassab (the Sea of Thought). Abba Demetros of Alexandria, archbishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, established the rules of calculation.
Understanding Ethiopian Time Zones
When traveling to Ethiopia, it's important to familiarize yourself with the country's unique time system, which differs significantly from the standard 24-hour clock used globally. Here are the key points to help you navigate Ethiopian time effectively:
Time Zone
Ethiopia operates on East Africa Time (EAT), which is UTC+3. This means that the local time is 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Keep this in mind when planning your travel itinerary or scheduling activities.
Ethiopian Time System
Ethiopia employs a distinctive 12-hour time system that begins at sunrise. The daily schedule is divided into two main periods:
Daytime this extends from sunrise (approximately 6 AM in standard time) to sunset (around 6 PM).
Nighttime This period starts at sunset and lasts until the next sunrise.
Local Time Representation
Understanding how time is represented in Ethiopia is crucial for seamless travel:
- In the Ethiopian time system, what we refer to as 1:00 AM in standard time is known as 7 o'clock in local time (1:00 AM + 6 hours).
- For instance, if it’s 1 PM in standard time, it is referred to as 7 o'clock in Ethiopian time.
