The country prepares to welcome the new year... 2017

Hoa Adey Abeba bản địa bung nở là báo hiệu về năm mới tại Ethiopia - Ảnh: CNN — The blooming of the indigenous Adey Abeba flower heralds the new year in Ethiopia - Photo: CNN

So why is Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country, seven years and eight months behind much of the rest of the world? And how does that affect Ethiopians as they live on an increasingly interconnected planet? The answer lies in centuries-old traditions and a sense of national identity.

In Ethiopia, the year of Jesus' birth is recognized as seven or eight years later than the Gregorian, or “Western,” calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. According to experts, the Roman Church adjusted its calculations in 500 AD, while the Ethiopian Orthodox Church chose to stick with the ancient date.

Thus, although most of the world continues to use the Gregorian calendar, Ethiopia retains its own calendar.

The Ethiopian calendar is believed to be over 1,500 years old. It is based on the solar-lunar system and has 13 months, 12 of which are 30 days long. The last month has only five days, or six days in a leap year.

Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash) is celebrated in September, when the native Adey Abeba flower blooms. Enkutatash comes at the end of the rainy season. Meanwhile, the Gregorian New Year's Day on January 1 has little significance in Ethiopia because it falls during the dry season.

Tourists visiting Ethiopia are often surprised to learn that they have “stepped back in time.” Since international businesses and schools based in Ethiopia tend to follow the Gregorian calendar, many Ethiopians have no choice but to use both the traditional Ethiopian calendar and the Western calendar.

In addition to Ethiopia, there are also a number of countries that still use their own calendars. For example, Saudi Arabia has traditionally favored the Hijri calendar, which has 12 months and 354 days, but has recently adopted the Gregorian calendar for transactions. Meanwhile, the Hebrew calendar is the official calendar of Israel.