The New Year's Eve celebration marking the end of the year in Ethiopia's traditional calendar is called Enkutatash.
Enkutatash is Ethiopian New Year and is observed on Meskerem 1 in the Ethiopian calendar, which generally falls on September 11 in the Gregorian calendar. It falls on September 12 in the year before a Gregorian leap year. The holiday follows the rainy season, when much of the Ethiopian highlands may be green and covered with yellow flowers.
Children commonly sing and exchange bouquets, while families gather for meals and celebrations. The name is often translated as “gift of jewels.” One traditional explanation connects it with the return of the biblical Queen of Sheba, although the holiday also has older seasonal associations.
Enkutatash is not held on December 31. It is a New Year celebration whose date reflects the Ethiopian calendar, which has twelve months of thirty days plus a short thirteenth month. That calendar difference is the key to identifying the holiday.