Ethiopia: A different mood on 9/11
11 September, 2011 | PANA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethiopia's unique calendar rescued the country's indigenes working
at the World Trade Centre from the 9/11 attacks and that was
because the day was a New Year celebrated by all Ethiopians
throughout the world and none of them was at the World Trade
Centre that day.
Also this year, when the rest of the world celebrated new year nine
months ago with dazzling lights, fireworks and best wishes, official
statements from religious, as well as political leaders, Ethiopia was
quiet.
That is simply because the Horn of Africa state uses its own
calendar and has distinctive annual celebrations – religious, historic
or cultural – which are celebrated days, months and years after the
rest of the world.
For instance, Ethiopia will celebrate its new year on Monday, 12
September and Christmas, called Ghanna, will be held 14 days after
the rest of the world.
Ethiopians call the 25 December Christmas yeferenjoch (foreigners’
– mainly whites’) Ghanna and the New Year a week after,
yefenrenjoch addis amet (foreigner’s New Year).
This has always been the case in Ethiopia, which, for the past 2000
years, has a different calendar, except for holidays celebrated by
Muslims – almost half of the population.
Major holidays in Islam, EId-Al-Fitir and Eid-Al-Adha are
celebrated by Muslims on the same day everywhere in the world,
through lunar calendar and Ethiopia is no exception.
“Ethiopia's ancient culture reflects Animist, Judaic, Byzantine,
Christian and Islamic heritages. One of its notable qualities is its
calendar,” according to Nita Bhalla, a traveler from the west, who
visited Ethiopia in 2009.
The Ethiopian calendar has more in common with the Coptic
Egyptian Calendar, as the Ethiopic and Coptic calendars have 13
months, 12 of 30 days each and an intercalary month at the end of
the year of five or six days, depending whether the year is a leap
year or not.
Ethiopians call the 13th month Puagime.
With a year of 13 months, 365 days and 366 days in a leap year
(every fourth year) the calendar is influenced by the Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which follows its ancient calendar
rules and beliefs.
A new year starts 11 September in the Gregorian calendar or on the
12th in (Gregorian) leap years. The Coptic leap year follows the
same rules as the Gregorian, so that the extra month always has six
days in a Gregorian leap year.
Hence, Ethiopians will celebrate their New Year nine months after
the rest of the world on 12 September, 2011. Had this year not
been a leap year, the Ethiopian new year would have been Sunday,
11 September.
A decade ago, when 9/11 happened, it was not a leap year and
Ethiopians were celebrating a new year.
The Ethiopic calendar differs from both the Coptic and the Julian
calendars. The difference between the Ethiopic and Coptic is 276
years. In spite of this, the Ethiopic Calendar is closely associated
with the rules and the different calculations influenced by the Coptic
Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church.
Based on the ancient Coptic Calendar, the Ethiopian Calendar is
seven to eight years behind the Gregorian Calendar, depending on
which month the calculation is done. This is owing to alternate
calculations in determining the date of the annunciation of the birth of
Jesus.
That is why it is still 2003 in Ethiopia, eight years behind the rest of
the world and it would be 2004 Monday, seven years behind the
rest of the world.
Accordingly, with the infamous theme: “Become Seven Years
Younger,” Ethiopia’s millennium was celebrated 11 September,
2007, giving the world a second chance to celebrate a millennium,
year after it did so.
Courtesy
11 September, 2011 | PANA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The rest of the world
always remembers 9/11 as
an unpleasant day but while
Ethiopians may share that
feeling, it is not the only
thing they think about as the
world marks a decade of
the gory incident.
Ethiopia's unique calendar rescued the country's indigenes working
at the World Trade Centre from the 9/11 attacks and that was
because the day was a New Year celebrated by all Ethiopians
throughout the world and none of them was at the World Trade
Centre that day.
Also this year, when the rest of the world celebrated new year nine
months ago with dazzling lights, fireworks and best wishes, official
statements from religious, as well as political leaders, Ethiopia was
quiet.
That is simply because the Horn of Africa state uses its own
calendar and has distinctive annual celebrations – religious, historic
or cultural – which are celebrated days, months and years after the
rest of the world.
For instance, Ethiopia will celebrate its new year on Monday, 12
September and Christmas, called Ghanna, will be held 14 days after
the rest of the world.
Ethiopians call the 25 December Christmas yeferenjoch (foreigners’
– mainly whites’) Ghanna and the New Year a week after,
yefenrenjoch addis amet (foreigner’s New Year).
This has always been the case in Ethiopia, which, for the past 2000
years, has a different calendar, except for holidays celebrated by
Muslims – almost half of the population.
Major holidays in Islam, EId-Al-Fitir and Eid-Al-Adha are
celebrated by Muslims on the same day everywhere in the world,
through lunar calendar and Ethiopia is no exception.
“Ethiopia's ancient culture reflects Animist, Judaic, Byzantine,
Christian and Islamic heritages. One of its notable qualities is its
calendar,” according to Nita Bhalla, a traveler from the west, who
visited Ethiopia in 2009.
The Ethiopian calendar has more in common with the Coptic
Egyptian Calendar, as the Ethiopic and Coptic calendars have 13
months, 12 of 30 days each and an intercalary month at the end of
the year of five or six days, depending whether the year is a leap
year or not.
Ethiopians call the 13th month Puagime.
With a year of 13 months, 365 days and 366 days in a leap year
(every fourth year) the calendar is influenced by the Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which follows its ancient calendar
rules and beliefs.
A new year starts 11 September in the Gregorian calendar or on the
12th in (Gregorian) leap years. The Coptic leap year follows the
same rules as the Gregorian, so that the extra month always has six
days in a Gregorian leap year.
Hence, Ethiopians will celebrate their New Year nine months after
the rest of the world on 12 September, 2011. Had this year not
been a leap year, the Ethiopian new year would have been Sunday,
11 September.
A decade ago, when 9/11 happened, it was not a leap year and
Ethiopians were celebrating a new year.
The Ethiopic calendar differs from both the Coptic and the Julian
calendars. The difference between the Ethiopic and Coptic is 276
years. In spite of this, the Ethiopic Calendar is closely associated
with the rules and the different calculations influenced by the Coptic
Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church.
Based on the ancient Coptic Calendar, the Ethiopian Calendar is
seven to eight years behind the Gregorian Calendar, depending on
which month the calculation is done. This is owing to alternate
calculations in determining the date of the annunciation of the birth of
Jesus.
That is why it is still 2003 in Ethiopia, eight years behind the rest of
the world and it would be 2004 Monday, seven years behind the
rest of the world.
Accordingly, with the infamous theme: “Become Seven Years
Younger,” Ethiopia’s millennium was celebrated 11 September,
2007, giving the world a second chance to celebrate a millennium,
year after it did so.
Courtesy
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