Ethiopia is the country that is approximately 7 to 8 years behind the rest of the world, as it follows the unique Ethiopian calendar. While most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, Ethiopia's system is based on the ancient Coptic calendar, featuring 13 months instead of 12.
Based upon the ancient Coptic Calendar, the Ethiopian Calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian Calendar, owing to alternate calculations in determining the date of the annunciation of the birth of Jesus.
Why Ethiopia Is “Still in 2018” Ethiopia follows its own calendar system, which is different from the widely used Gregorian calendar. The Ethiopian calendar is about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar, which is why the country is currently in 2018.
No, as of January 2026, Ethiopia is not in 2017; it's likely in the Ethiopian year 2018 or celebrating the end of 2017 (which was in Sept 2024), as Ethiopia uses its own calendar, about 7-8 years behind the Gregorian calendar, with its New Year (Enkutatash) falling in September, meaning when the world was in 2025, Ethiopia was entering 2018.
(CNN) — On September 11, Ethiopians will celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another. However, when the East African country rings in its New Year in a few months, it will technically be 2017, according to the Ethiopian calendar.
One of the most fascinating parts of this calendar is that Ethiopia has 13 months. Twelve months have exactly 30 days each, and the final month—called Pagume—has only five days, or six during a leap year. This extra month is often seen as a time for reflection and renewal.
While most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar (2025), Ethiopia follows its own calendar, which is about 7-8 years behind. That means right now, it's only 2017 in Ethiopia!
The International Fixed Calendar divides the year into 13 months of 28 days each. A type of perennial calendar, every date is fixed to the same weekday every year.
In the Bible, the region corresponding to modern Ethiopia was primarily called Cush (or Kush), a powerful kingdom south of Egypt, while the Greek term Aethiopia (Ethiopia) appears in later translations (like the Septuagint and New Testament) as a translation for Cush, referring to this land and its people. Cush is mentioned from Genesis, linked to the River Gihon, and appears in prophecies as a significant African nation, symbolizing distant lands and peoples.
In Ethiopia, it's still 2018. The country uses its own calendar, which is made up of 13 months and based on a different calculation of when the birth of Jesus took place. That puts Ethiopia around seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar used almost everywhere else.
The Ethiopian calendar is about 7-8 years behind the Gregorian calendar because it uses a different calculation for the birth year of Jesus Christ, based on an older tradition from the Coptic Church that predates the Gregorian calendar's adjustment in the 6th century. This system, derived from the ancient Coptic calendar, also features 13 months (12 months of 30 days plus a short 5 or 6-day month called Pagume) and starts the new year in September, adding to the temporal difference.
When was Jesus born according to the Ethiopian calendar?
The Ethiopian Christmas, also called Genna, is celebrated on 7 January (Tahsas 29 in the Ethiopian calendar) as the day of Jesus' birth. In connection with Christmas, religious fathers conveyed Christmas best wishes and messages to their faithful yesterday.
Africa's population is projected to nearly double by 2050, with 80% of that growth being concentrated in urban areas, leaving two out of three Africans living in cities. This expansion of cities at an unprecedented rate will bring both challenges and opportunities for African countries.
Ethiopia has been celebrating Enkutatash, its new year celebration. The East African country uses its own calendar, which has 13 months. It's also around seven years and eight months behind the Gregorian calendar, meaning the country has only just entered 2018.
Between 10,000 and 8000 BC, Northeast Africa was cultivating wheat and barley and raising sheep and cattle from Southwest Asia. A wet climatic phase in Africa turned the Ethiopian Highlands into a mountain forest.
Since there is an 11-day difference between the solar and lunar year, every 2-3 years a 13th month must be added to keep the seasons aligned. The Jews call this month Adar II. The Bible does not mention a 13th month.
🤯 While the rest of the world is living in 2025, Ethiopia is still in the year 2017! 😲📅 That's because Ethiopia follows its own ancient calendar, which is 7–8 years behind the one we use.
If we had 13 months, all of them would have exactly 28 days. We would need and extra day in order to complete 365 days, but we could make it a special case (the first day of the year, for instance) not belonging to any month or week.
The first kingdom for which there is documentary evidence is that of Aksum (Axum), a kingdom which probably emerged in the 2d cent. A.D., thus making Ethiopia the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the most ancient in the world.
Ethiopia, the only country not colonized by the imperialists in Africa, still follows its own Calendar,which is 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar used by most of the world. So, while the world is in 2026, celebrating the new year, Ethiopia is still living in 2018.
Ethiopia expects to reach a national middle-income status by 2025. Despite this, based on the most recent data from 2019, 68.7% of the population continues to be affected by multidimensional poverty and an additional 18.4% vulnerable to it.
According to the Ethiopian calendar, they are living in the year 2014. You will find it even more unique that they celebrate their New Year on the 11th of September. On the leap years, they celebrate it on the 12th of September.
Well, not everyone, not everyone, because there is one country in East Africa that has not yet reached the year 2025. This is Ethiopia, a nation that reached the year 2017 last September when its people celebrated New Year's Eve on the 12th.
