Ethiopia uses its own calendar, which is about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian one, and a different way of counting the hours. Both are easy to learn once someone explains them.
The calendar
- The year has thirteen months: twelve of thirty days, and a short thirteenth month (Pagume) of five or six days.
- The new year, Enkutatash, falls on or around 11 September in the Gregorian calendar.
- The Ethiopian year is about seven or eight years behind the Gregorian year, depending on the time of year.
If you see a date on a sign or a ticket that looks odd, it is probably in the Ethiopian calendar.
The clock
Traditionally, time is counted from sunrise and sunset, not from midnight. The day starts at about 6 o’clock in the morning our time, which is called "12 o’clock" in Ethiopian time.
- 7 a.m. is "1 o’clock" in the morning.
- Noon is "6 o’clock".
- 6 p.m. is "12 o’clock" again, as evening begins.
In hotels, airports and business settings, the international clock is used. In everyday life you may hear both, so if you agree to meet someone, it helps to ask: "Ethiopian time or international time?"
Holidays
Many national and religious holidays follow the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar. Some dates move slightly from year to year, so check before you plan around them.
What it means for your trip
Your tour documents and flights will use the international calendar and clock. But when you are out and about, you will meet the older system, and the moment you understand it, it becomes one more of the country’s small pleasures.
