Ethiopia is celebrating its New Year today, September 11, 2026, officially entering the year 2019 according to the Ethiopian calendar.

The East African country follows the Ethiopian, or Ge’ez, calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar used by most countries around the world. The Ethiopian calendar is approximately seven to eight years behind the Gregorian system because of differences in how the date of the birth or incarnation of Jesus was calculated.

The Ethiopian calendar consists of 12 months of 30 days each, followed by a 13th month known as Pagumen, which has five days in a normal year and six days during a leap year.

The New Year celebration, known as Enkutatash, normally falls on September 11 in the Gregorian calendar, although it can fall on September 12 in certain years. This year, September 11 corresponds to Meskerem 1, 2019 in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s calendar is closely connected to the country’s ancient history and religious traditions and remains an important part of its cultural identity.

Ethiopia is also notable for maintaining its independence through the European colonial period, although it was occupied by Fascist Italy between 1936 and 1941. Therefore, it is more accurate to describe Ethiopia as a country that was not permanently colonised, rather than one that was never occupied.

As Ethiopians at home and around the world mark the beginning of 2019, Enkutatash is being celebrated as a time of renewal, hope, family gatherings and cultural pride.