Which calendar does Ethiopia use for its New Year's celebration, Enkutatash?

Ethiopia uses the Ethiopian calendar for its New Year's celebration, Enkutatash.

Enkutatash means “gift of jewels” and is celebrated on Meskerem 1, which normally falls on September 11 in the Gregorian calendar and on September 12 in the year before a Gregorian leap year. The date arrives during Ethiopia's rainy season, when the countryside is associated with yellow flowers, especially the adey flower.

The Ethiopian calendar has twelve months of thirty days each, plus a thirteenth month called Pagumen containing five days, or six in a leap year. It is approximately seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar because the calendars use different calculations for the date of Christ's birth.

Enkutatash includes church services, family gatherings, singing, dancing, and the exchange of greetings. The holiday is not simply Ethiopia's version of January 1: January 1 is the Gregorian New Year, while Enkutatash is the Ethiopian New Year. Eritrea also celebrates a related holiday known as Kudus Yohannes on the same calendar date.