Ethiopia is famous for its "13 months of sunshine", and the slogan is more literal than it sounds. The country follows its own calendar, with 13 months and its own year number, and it tells the time from sunrise rather than midnight. It can be confusing at first, but it is easy once you understand the basics.
Why Ethiopia has 13 months
The Ethiopian calendar has 12 months of exactly 30 days, followed by a short 13th month called Pagume, which has 5 days, or 6 in a leap year.
The months and their usual start dates are:
- Meskerem: 11 September
- Tikimt: 11 October
- Hidar: 10 November
- Tahsas: 10 December
- Tir: 9 January
- Yekatit: 8 February
- Megabit: 10 March
- Miazia: 9 April
- Ginbot: 9 May
- Sene: 8 June
- Hamle: 8 July
- Nehase: 7 August
- Pagume: 6 September
Around leap years, these dates shift by a day.
Why it is 2019 in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar used in most of the world. The Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash, falls on 11 September, or on 12 September in the year before a leap year. On 11 September 2026, Ethiopia entered the year 2019.
- From 11 September to 31 December, the Ethiopian year is seven years behind.
- From 1 January to 10 September, it is eight years behind.
The difference comes from a different calculation of the year of Christ's birth, which the Ethiopian Orthodox Church follows.
Ethiopian time: the day starts at sunrise
Ethiopians count the hours of the day from sunrise rather than from midnight. Because Ethiopia is close to the equator, the sun rises at around 6:00 AM all year, and that is when the Ethiopian day begins. The day is divided into two 12-hour cycles: one from sunrise to sunset and one from sunset to sunrise.
This means Ethiopian time runs six hours apart from international time:
- 7:00 AM international time is 1 o'clock in the morning in Ethiopian time
- 12:00 noon is 6 o'clock in the day
- 6:00 PM is 12 o'clock in the day
- 7:00 PM is 1 o'clock in the evening
A simple trick is to add or subtract six hours. If someone suggests meeting at 3 o'clock, they may mean 9:00 AM on your watch.
How this affects your trip
- Always check which time is meant. If a time sounds unusual, ask "Ethiopian time or international time?" Ethiopians are used to the question.
- Flights and hotels use international time. Ethiopian Airlines schedules, hotel check-in times and other international services all use the international clock.
- Our itineraries use international time. Every time in your New Ethiopia Tours itinerary is international time, so a 9:30 AM pickup means 9:30 AM on your watch.
- Some dates may look unusual. Newspapers, local documents and some receipts show Ethiopian dates, so do not be surprised if the year looks wrong.
Holidays follow the Ethiopian calendar
Ethiopian holidays are fixed in the Ethiopian calendar, which is why they fall on different dates from Western holidays:
- Genna, Ethiopian Christmas: 7 January
- Timkat, Ethiopian Epiphany: 19 January (20 January in leap years). Read our Timkat 2027 guide.
- Enkutatash, Ethiopian New Year: 11 September
- Meskel: 27 September
For more on the seasons and festivals, see our guide to the best time to visit Ethiopia.
Experience it for yourself
The Ethiopian calendar is part of what makes the country feel like nowhere else on Earth. Our guides are always happy to explain it, whether you are watching the sun rise over Addis Ababa or sharing a coffee ceremony. Start planning your trip on our Plan Your Trip page.