New Year’s Day in the Ethiopian calendar is Meskerem 1, usually celebrated in September.
The Ethiopian New Year festival is called Enkutatash, and it falls on Meskerem 1. In the Gregorian calendar, the date is usually September 11, or September 12 in the year before a Gregorian leap year. The difference reflects the Ethiopian calendar’s structure and its relationship to the Julian calendar.
Enkutatash coincides with the end of the rainy season in much of Ethiopia. Bright yellow meskel flowers bloom, families gather, and children may sing songs while visiting homes. Religious celebrations are especially important at churches and monasteries, including those associated with Saint Raguel in Addis Ababa.
The date is not the same as the Gregorian New Year on January 1. The Ethiopian calendar has twelve months of thirty days plus a thirteenth month, Pagumē, containing five days or six in a leap year. “Meskerem” is the first month, while Enkutatash names the festival.