Fun Fact Friday: Ethiopia’s 13-Month Calendar & Time Warp!

Did you know that when you land in Ethiopia, you might feel like you’ve time-traveled?

🗓️ 1. The Ethiopian Calendar is 7–8 Years Behind the Rest of the World

Ethiopia uses the Ethiopian calendar, also known as the Ge'ez calendar, which is roughly 7 years and 8 months behind the Gregorian calendar (the one used by most of the world). This is because the Ethiopian Orthodox Church calculates the birth of Jesus differently than the Roman Catholic Church, which the Gregorian calendar is based on.

• For example: When it's May 2025 in the Gregorian calendar, it's only Miyazya 2017 in the Ethiopian calendar.

📅 2. It Has 13 Months

• 12 months have 30 days each

• The 13th month, called Pagumē, has 5 days (or 6 days in a leap year)

That’s why Ethiopians say they have "13 months of sunshine" — a phrase you’ll even see in tourism ads!

⏰ 3. The Day Starts at 6 AM, Not Midnight

Time works a little differently too! Ethiopians count the hours from when the sun rises:

• So what’s 7:00 AM to you is 1 o’clock in Ethiopian time (1 hour after sunrise)

• Noon is 6 o’clock, and so on…

This system is practical for a country near the equator, where daylight hours are consistent year-round.

✈️ Why It’s Fascinating for Travelers

Visiting Ethiopia means literally entering a different year, month, and even time zone of the mind! It’s one of the only countries in the world where ancient timekeeping is still used in daily life — from banks and schools to government offices.