Recently, millions of Ethiopians celebrated their grand holyday of Ethiopian New Year 2012. The celebration of the New Year may not feel singularity and rare for those who are strange to the calendar. It starts with every first day of the month of Meskerem (September 11 GC this year).
Enkutatash, the festival of the New Year which is celebrated on every first September of Ethiopian Calendar, is also feverishly celebrated following the end of summer season. Enkutatash is believed that it got its name after the returning of legendary Ethiopian Queen Sheba from King Solomon of Israel 3,000 years before.
Basically, Ethiopian Calendar has its own long rooted historical background which influences the internationally recognized Gregorian Calendar. The calendar is old-fashioned, starting from before the birth of Christ. The calendar before the birth of Jesus Christ (BC) is known as Amete Alem and after the birth of Christ is Amete Mihiret.
Enkutatash the heralding of bright season
Historians and documents indicate that the name of the festival gained its name from Enku and Tatash meaning precious and enervating job respectively to refer to the natural gift coincided on the day of the celebration as well as the gift of King Solomon to Queen Sheba.
The festival Enkutatash is celebrated every first Meskerem which marked following the end of summer season.
And New Year in Ethiopia is perceived as the end of Nightmare and the beginning of day light. The sun becomes sunny, the storm converts to pleasant weather and Adey Abeba-daisy flower, and pet blood wart radiant yellow flowers become shoot froth.
Therefore, Enkutatash
is celebrated with yellow bright flower which begins blossoming in the
thirteenth month Pagumen and completely in the first week of September.
Groups of girls and youths celebrate the festival adoring with Adey Abeba daisy
flower.
Every family also welcomes the New Year with festive meal and new cloths. The day is also considered as the day of refreshing and reforming self for better life opportunities. That is why most people in Ethiopia are anticipative on their New Year jobs.
“Ethiopia land of 13 month sunshine”
Ethiopia mostly recognized for its “13 month sunshine” has its own calendar named Ethiopian Calendar. This calendar is assumed to be formulated by the dominant religious followers of the Ethiopian orthodox elites thousands of years earlier.
The Calendar of Ethiopia consists 13 months, with 30 days of each 12 months and 5 days of one month. The 13th month of Pagumen, which has five days for three subsequent years and six days in every fourth year also makes Ethiopian Calendar unique.
Researches show that Ethiopian Calendar is sharper when compared to the Gregorian and other calendars which are articulated with months having unpredicted number of days.
Article entitled Ethiopian millennium that endures the test of the time, written by Hailegebriel Biniyam, also shows that Ethiopian Calendar is much predates than calendars of Julian “which lent itself to Gregorian through a process of revision. It is said to have based its emergence on Alexandria or Hellenistic Judeo-Christian time reckoning system”.
Addis Ababa Culture and Tourism Bureau Intangible Heritages Senior Expert, Memihir Mekibib Gebremariam also says that the Ethiopian Calendar dates back the birth of Jesus Christ. To him, even the festival of Enkutatash was started following the returning of Queen Sheba from her historic visit to Israel.
It is believed that the celebration is related to the blessing of Noah Ship. The bride of flowers which is dominantly used on the celebration is directly to the remembrance of Noah to herald the blessing, he notifies.
The first day of the New Year is the day of gift from youngsters to the relative elders and household leaders. In turn, elders bless the youngsters’. The day is mainly known for its multilateral implications since it is the first day of the year. It proclaims other holidays and yearly tasks.
The holyday is non-religious; therefore it is celebrated by all the Ethiopians everywhere. And the calendar is officially close. It is also identified that Enkutatash celebration was started thousands of years before the emergence of institutional religious activities.
The Ethiopian Herald September 20, 2019
BY YESUF ENDRIS
