Ethiopia is the only country that marks its New Year Enkutatash in the month of September annually. The country celebrates its New Year with splendid scenarios supported with its diverse natural endowments. The Ethiopian calendar is interrelated with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which follows its ancient calendar guidelines and beliefs. The year starts on 11 September in the Gregorian calendar or on the 12th in (Gregorian) Leap Years.
Having thirteen months of sunshine, sun set and sun rise is also a unique incident in the county. When the heavy rainy season Kiremit (summer) is nearing to conclude and the sunny, bright season, Meskerem (September) is coming, when flowers are blossoming and the field covers with yellow daisies, and the season becomes brighter, then Ethiopians prepare themselves to welcome the New Year. Aba Yohannes Worku, is Cheffe Ayat Saint Gabriel Church Gospel Sermon Head and an expert on Calendar systems. He is also a researcher on theologies and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Theology.
He told this writer that the Ethiopian New Year counting system is based on the sun’s circular motion on its space. “The Ethiopian Calendar system is based on astrology. The day to day activities of humans, climate, topography, climate, vegetation as well as culture and other similar matters are based on astrology.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church believes that for the sun it takes 365 days and a quarter day (six hours) to arrive at its starting point, in which its movement lasts for one year, he added.
According to him, there are three calendar systems in the world. These are solar, lunar and uni-solar. From these systems, Ethiopia follows a solar and lunar based calendar system that is based on the sunlight.
Aba Yohannes emphasized that the seasons in Ethiopia are related to astrology. The country enjoys four seasons with colorful sunshine overhead. Autumn, from March to May, winter from December to February, spring from September to November and summer from June to August, are the four seasons in Ethiopia.
According to Aba Yohannes, Egypt divides its year into three seasons, namely; flooding, harvesting and planting.
Aba Yohannes said that most of the nation’s calendar system is based on the canons of the Bible. The calendar system has its own formula to calculate and know holidays, major occasions and the days in the year. But, the calculation system is organized in a traditional way in which it might create confusions to understand the calendar system easily. The calculation system is based on forefathers’ preaching and traditional knowledge.
“The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church identifies the years as a leap year or not is calculated through adding the whole years, BC and AD, 5500 era and 2010 respectively which is 7510 then divided by 28. Thus, while the final left days are 28 or zero the year will be a leap year. And while one or five days is left, the year will be Mathews, and six days are left for Mark. This year is identified as the year of Mark,” he elaborated.
Asked, why the Ethiopian Calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar, Aba Yohannes underlined that during the period of Julius Caesar’s domination, he pronounced to follow Gregorian Calendar but some Orthodox religion churches in countries like; Ethiopia, Russia and Egypt did not accepted it. Currently, Russia follows both Gregorian and its own calendar system. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church also follows its own calendar system until now by adopting some features from Julius calendar.
The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months. And Ethiopia is the only country with 13 months in the world. 12 months have 30 days and the short Pagumen (Intercalary) month with 5 or 6 days, depending whether it is a leap year or not. Ethiopian New Year is on September 11th, except in leap years, when it is on September 12th. It is on the first of the Ethiopian month of Meskerem (September).
Aba Yohannes stressed that the absence of modern education in the area, no organized material, lower attention to the subject among others are the main reasons for the absence of information about the Ethiopian calendar.
According to chronicles, Enkutatash means “gift of jewels” in the Amharic language. The story goes back almost 3,000 years to the Queen of Sheba of ancient Ethiopia and Yemen, who was returning from a trip to visit King Solomon of Israel in Jerusalem, as mentioned in the Bible in I Kings 10 and II Chronicles 9.
Enkutatash is literally translated as “gift of jewels,” a name that derives from the story of the Queen of Sheba. According to the Bible and other ancient texts, the ancient queen of Ethiopia traveled to Jerusalem to meet King Solomon, and there she sent him a large quantity of gold and precious stones. Upon her return to Ethiopia, local rulers welcomed her with plentiful jewels.
The celebration of Enkutatash is both religious and secular. The eve starts by lighting wooden torches called “chibo” to symbolize the coming of the new sunny season. And the actual day begins with church services, extending best wishes followed by the family meal. Families visit friends, neighbors and relatives.
The day is also a special day for children. They gather in groups and go from house to house. They present pictures painted by themselves and decorated with flowers and images of saints to their family, neighbors and relatives. Girls play the Amharic song “Abebayehosh,” meaning “I have seen flowers,” carrying small hand drums. For children, the new attire from parents and gifts from family members, neighbors and relatives, are undoubtedly the most expected thing of Enkutatash.
BY TEWODROS KASSA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2023
