Stories
Discover Ethiopia: The Unique Country With 13 Months In A Year
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News18•11-10-2026, 15:29
Discover Ethiopia: The Unique Country With 13 Months In A Year
- •Ethiopia follows the unique Ethiopian or Ge’ez calendar, which features 13 months in a year and falls seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.
- •The first 12 months consist of 30 days each, while the 13th month, named Pagume, has five days or six during a leap year.
- •The Ethiopian New Year, known as Enkutatash, is celebrated in September, typically on September 11 in the Gregorian calendar.
- •The time difference stems from historical variations in calculating the date of Jesus Christ's birth compared to the Gregorian system.
- •While international business uses the Gregorian calendar, the 13-month system remains central to everyday life and cultural identity in Ethiopia.
Key Questions Answered
Ethiopia is the unique country that follows a 13-month calendar system, known as the Ethiopian or Ge'ez calendar.
The first 12 months consist of exactly 30 days each, totaling 360 days. The remaining days are placed into a shorter 13th month called Pagume, which has five days in a regular year and six days in a leap year.
The Ethiopian calendar is roughly seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar due to historical differences in calculating the date of Jesus Christ's birth by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
