The Ethiopian calendar · የኢትዮጵያ ዘመን አቆጣጠር
Own
time
Turn any date into the Ethiopian calendar, and see which feasts and fasts fall during your trip: Meskel, Genna, Timkat, Fasika and more.
Today in Addis Ababa: ·
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Your dates in the Ethiopian calendar
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Feasts & fasts during your trip
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04 · Own time ·
Thirteen months, one wheel
Twelve months of thirty days, then Pagume: five days, six in a leap year. New Year falls in September as the rains end. The wheel turns to today in Addis Ababa; choose a month to see what it holds.
- 02 / 13
- Tikimtጥቅምት
- In the Gregorian calendar
- 11 Oct – 9 Nov
- What happens
- Clear, fresh days return; the first coffee cherries ripen at lower altitudes.
- Where we go
- Bale opens up; Omo after the short rains.
05 · The next twelve months
Feasts and fasts ahead
Calculated from today. Fixed feasts follow the Ethiopian calendar; Fasika follows the Julian Easter reckoning; Islamic dates are estimates.
| Feast or fast | Gregorian | Ethiopian | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genna (Christmas) ገና | 7 January 2027 | Tahsas 29, 2019 | Ethiopian Christmas, 7 January. An all-night liturgy, then the fast is broken. |
| Timkat (Epiphany) ጥምቀት | 19 January 2027 | Tir 11, 2019 | Tir 11. The tabots are carried to water on the eve (Ketera); blessings and processions the next morning. |
| Adwa Victory Day የዓድዋ ድል | 2 March 2027 | Yekatit 23, 2019 | Yekatit 23 (2 March). A national holiday marking the 1896 victory at Adwa. |
| Abiy Tsom (Lent) ዐቢይ ጾም | 8 March 2027 – 1 May 2027 | Yekatit 29, 2019 | The 55-day Lenten fast before Fasika. Most Orthodox Ethiopians eat vegan food until afternoon; menus follow. |
| Eid al-Fitr ዒድ አል ፈጥር | 9 March 2027 estimate | Yekatit 30, 2019 | The end of Ramadan, a major day in Harar and Dire Dawa. Tabular date shown: the real day follows the moon. |
| Fasika (Easter) ፋሲካ | 2 May 2027 | Miyazya 24, 2019 | Orthodox Easter ends the 55-day Lenten fast. Expect closures on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. |
| Eid al-Adha (Arafa) ዒድ አል አድሐ | 16 May 2027 estimate | Ginbot 8, 2019 | The feast of sacrifice. Tabular date shown: the real day follows the moon. |
| Tsome Filseta ጾመ ፍልሰታ | 7 August 2027 – 21 August 2027 | Nehase 1, 2019 | The fast of the Assumption, Nehase 1 to 15. Fasting food everywhere; church festivities at the end. |
| Mawlid መውሊድ | 14 August 2027 estimate | Nehase 8, 2019 | The birthday of the Prophet, kept with readings and gatherings in Harar. Tabular date shown. |
| Enkutatash (New Year) እንቁጣጣሽ | 12 September 2027 | Meskerem 1, 2020 | New Year, Meskerem 1. Families gather, girls sing door to door with adey daisies. |
| Meskel መስቀል | 28 September 2027 | Meskerem 17, 2020 | The Finding of the True Cross, Meskerem 17. The demera bonfire is lit in Meskel Square, Addis, on the eve. |
| Irreecha ኢሬቻ | 2 October 2027 – 3 October 2027 estimate | Meskerem 21, 2020 | Oromo thanksgiving at the end of the rains, in Addis and at Lake Hora, Bishoftu. Date set each year; ours is an estimate. |
Before you write
About the calendar
Why is the Ethiopian year different?
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church dates the Annunciation differently from the Western churches, so the year count runs seven years behind the Gregorian from September to December and eight years behind from January to September.
Do I need to use the Ethiopian calendar?
Not for flights or hotels, which use the international calendar and clock. It matters for feasts, fasts, markets and anything arranged locally, and it is a pleasure to learn.
Are these dates certain?
Christian feast dates are calculated and reliable. Irreecha is set each year by the Abba Gadaa councils, and Islamic feasts follow the sighting of the moon, so we confirm those closer to the time. Check the advice on crowds before planning around a feast.
Time it to a feast
The Calendar Weekend builds four nights in Addis around Meskel, Genna or Timkat.
See the journey