The Ethiopian calendar (Ge'ez) is the official calendar of Ethiopia and is also used by the Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox churches. It has 13 months and runs about 7–8 years behind the Gregorian calendar. The current year is 2018 EC; year 2019 EC begins on Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year), 11 September 2026.
The Ethiopian calendar has 12 months of exactly 30 days each, plus a short 13th month called Pagume with 5 days (6 in a leap year) — totalling 365 or 366 days. This is the basis of Ethiopia's "13 months of sunshine" tourism slogan.
The 12 main months are: Meskerem, Tikimt, Hidar, Tahsas, Tir, Yekatit, Megabit, Miyazya, Ginbot, Sene, Hamle, and Nehase — followed by Pagume.
The calendar shares its structure and epoch logic with the Coptic (Egyptian) calendar.
The Ethiopian calendar uses a different calculation for the date of the Annunciation/Nativity than the Gregorian calendar, placing it about 7–8 years earlier. So while much of the world is in 2026, Ethiopia is in 2018.
New Year (Enkutatash) falls on 11 September (or 12 September in the year before a Gregorian leap year).
Orthodox Christmas (Genna) is celebrated on 7 January, and Timkat (Epiphany) on 19 January.