Ethiopians Set to Mark New Year

By Staff Writer

ADDIS ABABA---Ethiopians are gearing up to usher in their New Year Monday based on their ancient calendar which is eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.

The New year or Enkutatashe ("Gift of Jewels" in Amharic) which falls on  Maskerek  1 - September  11 also marks the beginning of Harvest season which is a time of parties and weddings. This year, Enkutatashe falls on the 12 of September because of the leap year. Enkutatashe or spring festival is celebrated as the three months rainy season ends.

The Ethiopic and Coptic calendars have 13 months, 12 months of 30 days each and an intercalary month at the end of the year of 5 or 6 days, depending whether the year is a leap year or not. The calendar totals 365 or 366 days.

The birth of a New Year is accompanied with colorful events and celebrated by all ages of Ethiopian people. Before  the  celebration on the  eve day, people  prepare their  houses, washing clothes  ,decorating   their  homes    for  to the  next  merry  making  day, then on the next  morning, people  put on traditional  national dress made of hand  woven cotton material and mark the day with delicacies from their ancient times.

In Addis Ababa, home to around five million people, the New Year mood has already started, making the city busy, crowded and warm. People are busy shopping for many things for the holiday.

Men are bargaining to buy different things for the holiday, including sheep, chicken or goat for slaughter on the day.

For the majority of Ethiopians, both Christians and Muslims, it is a must to slaughter a sheep, a goat or chicken on New Year's day to prepare Ethiopian traditional food such as chicken stew.

On the first day of the New Year, people spend their time mainly at home eating and drinking traditional foods and drinks mostly cooked by women both in urban and rural areas of the country. Men who are head of a family slaughter the sheep or goat early in the morning of the New Year.

The celebrations include visiting friends and families on the day, presenting them with gifts.

The New Year celebration is also a time when many people put forward their hopes, aspirations, resolutions and prospects like quit smoking cigarette, drinking alcohol or other bad habits.

A good number of Ethiopians in the Diaspora are also arriving to celebrate the New Year with their families.