ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia has welcomed the New Year 2019, with millions of citizens celebrating Enkutatash, the country’s traditional New Year festival, on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Unlike the Gregorian calendar used by most countries, Ethiopia follows its own calendar system, which places the country approximately seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. As a result, while much of the world is in 2026, Ethiopia is beginning the year 2019 today.
Enkutatash falls on Meskerem 1, the first day of the first month of the Ethiopian calendar. The occasion is both a national and cultural celebration, marking a period of renewal as the country’s long rainy season comes to an end.
Across Ethiopia, families and communities are marking the occasion with prayers, traditional meals, music, dancing and gatherings. The celebration is also associated with the appearance of the bright yellow Adey Abeba flowers, which bloom across parts of the Ethiopian highlands around this time of year.
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Children traditionally participate in the festivities by singing and visiting homes, while families use the occasion to welcome a fresh beginning and exchange New Year greetings.
The New Year celebration also carries religious significance, with church services forming part of the observance for many Ethiopians. Traditional celebrations often include family meals featuring dishes such as injera and doro wat, alongside Ethiopia’s famous coffee ceremonies.
A Year of Renewal and Development
The arrival of 2019 has also been accompanied by messages from Ethiopian leaders calling for unity, progress and national development.
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Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh said the country was entering the New Year with renewed momentum and national resolve. He described the previous year as one of significant achievements and said those gains should provide a foundation for further progress.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also used his New Year message to call for dialogue, unity and renewed efforts toward national development. He highlighted developments in agriculture, environmental conservation, infrastructure, energy and industrial expansion.
The celebration has also attracted New Year greetings from foreign diplomats. The Israeli and Cameroonian ambassadors in Ethiopia extended their greetings to Ethiopians, with Israeli Ambassador Avraham Neguise noting that Ethiopia and Israel are observing their respective New Year celebrations on the same date this year, although under different calendar traditions.
Why Ethiopia Is in 2019
The Ethiopian calendar is based on a different calculation of the birth of Jesus Christ from the Gregorian calendar. It consists of 12 months of 30 days each, followed by a short 13th month known as Pagume, which contains five days in a normal year and six during a leap year.
The Ethiopian New Year normally falls on September 11 in the Gregorian calendar, although it falls on September 12 in the year preceding an Ethiopian leap year. In 2026, the celebration falls on September 11.
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For Ethiopians at home and in the diaspora, Enkutatash represents more than simply the turning of a calendar page. It is a celebration of hope, renewal, family, culture and a new beginning.
As Ethiopia begins 2019, celebrations are expected to continue across the country as citizens welcome the New Year with traditional festivities and hopes for peace, prosperity and progress.
Melkam Addis Amet — Happy New Year 2019 to the people of Ethiopia!
