Ge'ez CalendarWhat is Enkutatash?
Enkutatash (እንቁጣጣሽ) is the Ethiopian New Year, the first day of Meskerem, the first month. It is a public holiday in Ethiopia and also marks the new year in Eritrea. The church celebrates the same day as the feast of St. John the Baptist (Kidus Yohannes), which is why the new year is sometimes called by that name.
Why September 11, and sometimes 12?
The Ethiopian year has twelve months of 30 days and a short 13th month, Pagume, with 5 days, or 6 in a leap year. After a 6-day Pagume, Meskerem 1 falls on September 12 instead of September 11. This happens every four years, in the September before a Gregorian leap year (2023 and 2027, for example).
What the name means
“Enkutatash” is usually explained as “gift of jewels”. According to legend, when the Queen of Sheba returned from her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs welcomed her back by refilling her treasury with jewels (enku).
Traditions
- The end of the rains. The long rainy season is ending, the highlands turn green and the yellow adey abeba flowers bloom everywhere.
- Songs and flowers. Girls in new dresses go from house to house singing Abebayehosh and receive small gifts or money; boys give paintings and drawings.
- Church and family. The day begins with church, followed by a family meal, often doro wat, with coffee ceremonies through the afternoon.
A new year number
The Ethiopian year number changes on Enkutatash. From September to December it is 7 years behind the Gregorian year, and from January on it is 8 years behind. September 2026 began the year 2019 E.C.