What year is it?
While the rest of the world is halfway through the year 2012, Ethiopia is currently in year 2015. This is because the country observes the Julian calendar (most of the world is on the Gregorian calendar). A great time to visit is during Ethiopian New Years celebrated the second week of September. Regardless of when you arrive, enjoy peeling back time and being 7.5 years younger than you are now!
- 13 Months of Sunshine
The Ethiopian calendar not only has a different year, but also a different way of calculating months. Instead of alternating months that are 30 or 31 days long, the Ethiopian calendar has 12 months that are each 30 days. The 13th month (yes there are 13 months in their calendar) contains the “extra days” and is only 5 or 6 days long depending on if it’s a leap year. That’s why Ethiopia’s nickname is “Land of 13 Months of Sunshine.”
While the rest of the world is halfway through the year 2019, Ethiopia is currently in year 2011. This is because the country observes the Julian calendar (most of the world is on the Gregorian calendar). A great time to visit is during Ethiopian New Years celebrated the second week of September. Regardless of when you arrive, enjoy peeling back time and being 7.5 years younger than you are now!
- 13 Months of Sunshine
The Ethiopian calendar not only has a different year, but also a different way of calculating months. Instead of alternating months that are 30 or 31 days long, the Ethiopian calendar has 12 months that are each 30 days. The 13th month (yes there are 13 months in their calendar) contains the “extra days” and is only 5 or 6 days long depending on if it’s a leap year. That’s why Ethiopia’s nickname is “Land of 13 Months of Sunshine.”