Ethiopia will celebrate Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year, on September 11, 2026, marking the beginning of the year 2019 on the Ethiopian calendar.
Unlike most countries that celebrate New Year in January, Ethiopia follows an ancient calendar system that is about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.
Enkutatash therefore falls in September and marks the beginning of a new year, symbolising renewal, hope and a fresh start.
The celebration also has a strong seasonal significance. It comes at the end of the long kiremt rainy season, when the Ethiopian highlands turn green and yellow Adey Abeba daisies begin to bloom across the countryside.
Women marking New Year. PHOTO/The Tanzania Times.
In Addis Ababa, children traditionally go door to door singing and carrying flowers and drawings. They receive money or bread from households, with traditional songs differing between boys and girls.
Bonfires are lit in many neighbourhoods on the eve of the celebrations, while families gather on New Year's Day to share meals featuring doro wat and injera. Traditional coffee ceremonies are also an important part of the celebrations, particularly after the fasting period.
Many Ethiopians mark the occasion by wearing traditional white clothing, including the Habesha kemis and netela, while children often receive new clothes.
Enkutatash is a public holiday, with government offices and banks closed and many businesses operating on reduced hours. Major gathering places in Addis Ababa include Raguel Church on Entoto, the wider Entoto area and Jan Meda.
