Image from Yilud
September is the beginning! It is when Ethiopian skies bid farewell to the clouds of the rainy season and welcome the New Year! Daisies, called “Adey Ababa,” cover the highlands in gold.
Young girls gather the flowers and go door to door singing the traditional New Year song “Abeba- Ayehosh!“
In Ethiopia September 12 marked the end of the old century and the beginning of the 21st century - a brand new millennium. Amidst all the celebration, New Year resolutions and season greetings one might ponder what the last ten decades have brought Ethiopians, what the new century has in stock for them and the importance and message of the coming millennium.
One of the things I enjoy most while telling friends of the Ethiopian year, is a dazzled and confused look followed by:
so how old will that make you in Ethiopia?”
How it came to be?
Ethiopia being among the first states to adopt Christianity follows the Coptic Calendar which was based on the calendar formulated by Julius Caesar. When Pope Gregory XIII decreed the modification of the Julian calendar many states started counting days and religious holidays with the new Gregorian calendar while the Eastern Orthodox Churches and Ethiopian Orthodox Church continued to use the Julian calendar.
Though through time most Eastern Orthodox churches accepted the Gregorian calendar, the Ethiopian Orthodox church still remains using the old calendar without accepting the reforms. It is arguable if this was due to the conservative nature of Ethiopian Christians or the remoteness and isolation of the country.
As a result, the Ethiopian calendar is 7 years and 8 months behind the Gregorian calendar. The year is divided into 13 months,12 months of 30 days and a 13th month with five or six days depended on the leap year. This is the origin of the Ethiopian Tourism Commission’s branding tag known as “13 months of sunshine.” New Year in Ethiopia, “Enqutatsh” (gift of jewels), is celebrated on September 11 or September 12 when it is a leap year. And that is why it is still 2000 in Ethiopia!
Celebrating the millennium is indeed a very festive, thousands of Ethiopian Diaspora are in exodus to Ethiopia to be part of the celebration, the exodus also includes over 30,000 Rastafarians, thousands of tourists and individuals who can’t just get enough of millenniums.
But besides its festival character the coming millennium seems to hold a great importance to the Ethiopians and African people in general. Resolutions are being made by municipalities, organizations and local governments to welcome the millennium with a stride towards prosperity, development, peace and democracy.
The millennium is being seen as the dawn of a new beginning and a good future. This might be what the African leaders had in mind when they passed a resolution to celebrate the new Ethiopian millennium as an African millennium at the 8th Annual Assembly of the African Heads of States and Governments.
Perhaps this aspiration and feeling of a new beginning can inspire Ethiopians to strengthen their efforts in tackling the problems the country and the people are facing. It is also a good opportunity for Ethiopians to change the world famous image of “hunger stricken, barren land with undernourished children” that has been planted on people’s minds and memories by the 1984 unfortunate and tragic famine.
The images and reports broadcasted all over the world through the windows of television instigated awe in households. This broad coverage has brought Ethiopia significant amount of aid and assistance from the western world. However, it has left the country to be recognized and associated with tragic and sad suffering even 20 years after this mishap.
As they refill their glasses, sing folk songs and wish each other Happy New Year, Ethiopians should make it their new year resolution to dedicated their skills, time and mind for the betterment of the nation. The local government of Addis Ababa- Capital of the country, home for about 5 million people and headquarters of the African union- has outlined priority areas which need a focused attention.
Among other things, they have vowed to reduce the waste of the city by half, construct millennium library and millennium parks, accomplish different awareness creation activities that will enable to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, plant about 700,000 seedlings to keep the country green and construct a health centre whose service will cater to street children. Hopefully this new era will bring these and more changes!
The Ethiopian New Year stands as one of the very few nationally celebrated events that unite over 80 different ethnic groups with diverse cultures and religions. The Ethiopian New Year also sheds light on the long history of the country; successes and failures that have been encountered and the lessons that should be learnt. The Ethiopian New Year brings hope, anticipation and optimism for a better future in the coming century!
Published by September 20th, 2007 in Current Issues and History.Send this post to a friend
Quite interesting as it appears no one really spoke why we were not using gregorian calendar you know…
thanks
Nice Article Ameleworq. It’s always good to get a refresher on our history and culture but I miss home, I miss home, I miss home….I need to go like yesterday.
Very informative and nice photo selections. Thank you.
Ameleworq,
Thanks so much. That is a beautiful article with a positive vibe.
I might be called a day dreamer but I looked at the face of the kid in the picture and I read prosperity, democracy, peace, unity, and love for the country and its people in the new millenium.
Very nice Amelework, Thank you
is the pic by sheraton addis?
we did attach a source for the photo eko… image from Image from Yilud
anyways here is the original all with his adey abeba and it has nothing to do with sheraton..
Aye whatsapoch gin, sheraton sheraton belew limotu! eko!
ahahahaha you is crazy. How about when you go to Addis you realize you’ll claim that name as well
I have news for you they even know what part of the states you’re from just by your behavior. Isn’t that a hoot!
Dawitm, are you gonna take that sitting down or standing up
You know as I looked at the full picture I noticed someone was standing on the other side of the young man. Wonder if it’s his little sister or brother. Love the photo’s btw.
whatever dude. btw, i aint one of ‘whatsapoch’ ok… i dont even know sheraton except on pic anyway. celebratelife wassup girl
Beautiful Pics .I checked out the link ,the guy really has the eye .I loved the half smile thing
Check it out http://www.flickr.com/photos/yilud/1043202977/
The world doesen’t revolve around Sheraton ok. For some that’s all they know and all they want to be at. I guess some go to Sherathn so someone says “Sherahon tegenagen”. By the way it’s funny how they go to Sherathon to hung out with the Whats’up och. They can’t relate with the Sefew hezb.
My 2 cents…..
Hey Dawitm, how is you these them days? When’s the last time you went to Addis since you haven’t seen the Sheraton?
To be honest anyone visiting is considered a Wuzzzzupoch and that’s you, me and all the company so don’t be trying to exclude yourself (you know who you are)
I posted a comment earlier and it disappeared
I think there’s a ghost of yesteryear floating up in this place.
I like the article very much.I especially like the way it spreads hope and its inocently optimistic attitude.
But history has thought me that such national feelings would definately be a passing fad unless every individual starts working for his own progress rather than thinking to change Ethiopia….
[quote comment="79236"]Hey Dawitm, how is you these them days? When’s the last time you went to Addis since you haven’t seen the Sheraton?
[/quote]
i haven’t been back to addis since i left when i was just a little kid, so i don’t even know much about the sheraton. but i have heard it is very nice.
Thank you Ameleworq really insightful
Thanks all, I am glad you liked the article
Maebel, I completely agree with you..every individual should somehow try their level best to make some change…every little bit counts!Having faith in our country is also important, cos it all starts from believing.
Ameleworq - excellent article. it really inspires hope, and maybe this is a starting point that can lead Ethiopia into prosperity. just like Nolawi was saying in the previous article about making resolutions, this is 2000, lets make it big! something that can benefit even one person back home. our ethiopian association here has a program called “Our Little Project” where every year each person donated $50 (started with $150 but our numbers grew) from their tax returns and we send it to Ethiopia to build homes for the less fortunate. it doesn’t seem like a lot of money here, and it’s just enough to build 8 yechika betoch, but the faces of the people who now have a place to call home and the personal feeling of doing something good……..priceless. if anyone wants to check it out, here is the link
Ameleworq, thanks for a very hopeful, educational and inspiring article.On the same note….Happy New Year to everyone of you!
Nolawi, can you please podcast the Abebayehoy song for this article
last year it was podcasted!
I would like to know what people use in ethiopia for the skin purifying or moisturizing especially on face or to fade high pigmentation /madiat. . . i need to know what traditional plant or anything people use out there. i am ethiopian but living in US and doing project for school.
please inform me if you know anything