Enkutatash (also spelled Enqutatash) is Ethiopian New Year. It lands on Meskerem 1 in the Ethiopian calendar, which is September 11 on the Gregorian calendar in 2026 (sometimes Sep 12 around leap years).
The name is often linked to “gift of jewels,” tied to the Queen of Sheba story, and it comes when the rains ease and the yellow adey abeba flowers show up. Families gather, kids sing, people put on new clothes. Melkam Addis Amet.
Why the year number looks “behind”: Ethiopia and Eritrea follow a calendar close to the old Alexandrian/Coptic reckoning. Church scholars long ago dated the Annunciation differently from the calculation that became the Gregorian calendar, so Ethiopia runs about 7 to 8 years apart from the Gregorian year (7 years from Enkutatash through December, 8 from January until the next Enkutatash).
Also Ethiopia has 13 months: twelve months of 30 days, then Pagume with 5 or 6 days. New Year in September is normal here, not January.
So when the world says 2026, Ethiopia is welcoming a different year count. Same sun, different clock.
