Ethiopian Date Today

What year is it in Ethiopia?

It is currently year 2018 E.C. in the Ethiopian calendar (also called the Ge'ez calendar). Today's Ethiopian date is Ginbot 8, 2018 E.C. The Ethiopian calendar is approximately 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar (currently 2026) — 7 years from September 11 through December 31, and 8 years from January 1 through September 10. Ethiopia uses East Africa Time (EAT, UTC+3) and does not observe daylight saving, so the offset stays the same all year. The next Ethiopian year, 2019, begins on Meskerem 1.

How Ethiopian time differs from Western time

Ethiopians count hours from sunrise rather than from midnight. Around the equator the sun rises near 6:00 a.m. Western (ferenj) time, so that moment is treated as hour zero in Ethiopia. As a result, Western 7:00 a.m. is "1 in the morning" (1 ጠዋት) in Ethiopia, Western noon is "6 in the afternoon" (6 ቀትር), and Western 6:00 p.m. is "12 in the evening" (12 ማታ).

Ethiopian months

The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months. Twelve months have 30 days each, and a short 13th month called Pagume (ጳጉሜ) has 5 days, or 6 days in a leap year.

1. Meskerem (መስከረም): starts in September
2. Tikimt (ጥቅምት): starts in October
3. Hidar (ኅዳር): starts in November
4. Tahsas (ታኅሣሥ): starts in December
5. Tir (ጥር): starts in January
6. Yekatit (የካቲት): starts in February
7. Megabit (መጋቢት): starts in March
8. Miyazya (ሚያዝያ): starts in April
9. Ginbot (ግንቦት): starts in May
10. Sene (ሰኔ): starts in June
11. Hamle (ሐምሌ): starts in July
12. Nehase (ነሐሴ): starts in August
13. Pagume (ጳጉሜ): a short 13th month of 5 or 6 days, starting in September

Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash)

Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash (እንቁጣጣሽ), falls on Meskerem 1, which corresponds to September 11 on the Gregorian calendar (or September 12 in the Gregorian year before a leap year). The Ethiopian calendar is 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar for 1 out of every 4 quarters of the year (from September 11 through December 31), and 8 years behind for the other 3 out of 4 quarters (from January 1 through September 10).

Time of day in Ethiopia

Because the Ethiopian day starts at sunrise (around 6:00 a.m. Western time), the hours line up with named periods of the day rather than running 0–23 like the Western 24-hour clock. The four periods cover the day in roughly six-hour chunks:

Examples (ምሳሌ):

• 9 AM (morning)3 ሰዓት ጠዋት
• 1 PM (afternoon)7 ሰዓት ከሰዓት
• 8 PM (evening)2 ሰዓት ምሽት
• 4 AM (morning)10 ሰዓት ለሊት

Frequently asked questions

What is today's date in the Ethiopian calendar?

Today's date in the Ethiopian calendar is Ginbot 8, 2018 E.C. The Ethiopian calendar (Ge'ez calendar) runs about 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar from September 11 through December 31, and 8 years behind from January 1 through September 10. The matching Gregorian (Western) date is May 16, 2026.

Why is Ethiopia 7 years behind the world?

Ethiopia uses the Ethiopian calendar, which counts years from a different dating of the Annunciation than the Gregorian calendar adopted by most of the world. The Ethiopian year is 7 years behind the Gregorian year from September 11 through December 31, and 8 years behind from January 1 through September 10. The current Ethiopian year is 2018 E.C., while the Gregorian year is 2026.

Is Ethiopia in 2018 or 2026?

On the Ethiopian calendar Ethiopia uses for daily civil life, it is currently year 2018 E.C. On the Gregorian calendar, the year is 2026. The Ethiopian year changes on Meskerem 1 (September 11 on the Gregorian calendar).

Why is Ethiopia in 2018 now?

The Ethiopian calendar is a solar calendar derived from the ancient Coptic calendar. It counts years from a different starting point than the Gregorian calendar, which is why Ethiopia is currently in 2018 E.C. while most of the world is in 2026. Ethiopia is the only country whose civil calendar still uses this dating system in everyday life.

What country still goes by 13 months?

Ethiopia is the country that uses a 13-month calendar in everyday civil life. Twelve months of the Ethiopian calendar are 30 days each, and a short 13th month called Pagume (ጳጉሜ) has 5 days, or 6 days in a leap year, for a total of 365 or 366 days per year.

What is the current time in Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is on East Africa Time (EAT, UTC+3), with no daylight saving year-round. Ethiopians traditionally count hours from sunrise, so 7:00 AM Western (ferenj) time is 1:00 in Ethiopian reckoning. Today's Ethiopian date is Ginbot 8, 2018 E.C.

How do I convert an Ethiopian date to Gregorian?

Use the Date Conversion section above (or the dedicated converter page). Pick the Ethiopian day, month and year on the left side; the matching Gregorian (Western) date appears on the right instantly.

How do I convert a Gregorian date to Ethiopian?

Use the Date Conversion section above. Pick the Gregorian day, month and year on the right side; the matching Ethiopian date appears on the left instantly.

What year is it in Ethiopia right now?

The current Ethiopian year is 2018 E.C. The Ethiopian calendar is 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar for 1 out of every 4 quarters of the year (September 11 through December 31), and 8 years behind for the other 3 out of 4 quarters (January 1 through September 10). A new Ethiopian year begins on Meskerem 1.

How is the Ethiopian calendar different from the Gregorian calendar?

The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months, lags the Gregorian calendar by 7–8 years, and starts the new year in September. It is the only calendar in widespread daily civil use that is based on the ancient Coptic calendar.

Does Ethiopia use daylight saving time?

No. Ethiopia stays on UTC+3 year-round.

Is the Ethiopian New Year based on the lunar calendar?

No. The Ethiopian calendar is a solar calendar derived from the ancient Coptic calendar, not a lunar one. Enkutatash falls on the same fixed Gregorian date every year (September 11, or September 12 in the year before a Gregorian leap year), and is unrelated to the Chinese Lunar New Year or the Islamic lunar Hijri calendar.

How many days are in an Ethiopian year?

An Ethiopian year has 365 days in a common year and 366 days in a leap year, the same total as the Gregorian year. It is made up of 12 months of 30 days (360 days) plus a short 13th month called Pagume of 5 days, or 6 days in a leap year. Ethiopian leap years occur every four years, in the year just before a Gregorian leap year.