Hi great people. As some of you may know, I love traveling. If it were in my power, I would travel around the world in my lifetime (smiling). I recently visited Ethiopia, a breathtaking and fascinating country in East Africa with an incredible history and rich culture.

The first thing I noticed when I landed in Ethiopia was the people. They are lovely, friendly, and outgoing. They gave us a warm welcome to their country.

As I explored Ethiopia, I learned fascinating things about the country, including the people, culture, religion, history, landscape, etc. I had a blast in Ethiopia. The memories from the visit will last forever (story for another day).

Today I’d like to share with you some fascinating things I learned about Ethiopia during my visit to the country. I hope these things will fascinate you as much as they fascinate me.

The Fascinating Things I Learned About Ethiopia

You see, each country in the world is fascinating in one way or the other. Every country has a unique charm that captivates the imagination of visitors. Ethiopia is no exception.

If you love traveling as I do, you’ll find that each country you visit differs from yours in various ways. Suppose you want to have a great experience in the country you’re visiting. In that case, it’s best to embrace positivity and avoid being judgmental.

Let me share the fascinating things about Ethiopia that captivated my imagination without further ado.

The Ethiopia Calendar Has 13 Months

One of the most fascinating things about Ethiopia is that it uses 2 calendars namely the Ethiopian calendar and the Gregorian calendar.

Let me explain the two calendars below:

The Gregorian calendar

This is the modern-day calendar that most countries of the world use. It divides a year into 12 months – January to December.

A year in the Gregorian Calendar has 365 days and a leap year has 366 days.

Ethiopia uses the Gregorian calendar to be in sync with the rest of the world. They use it in business, international relations, and travel.

So, if you’re visiting Ethiopia, you’ll find your usual calendar in the airports, hotel rooms, etc.

The 13-Month Ethiopian calendar 

The 2nd calendar Ethiopia uses is the Ge’ez Calendar. Ethiopians use this calendar in their homes and other private spaces.

The Ethiopian calendar is peculiar and fascinating. For instance, their year has 13 months!

Each of the first 12 months has 30 days making a total of 360 days.

The 13th month is called Pagume. It runs from around 6 – 10 September.  This month has five or six days depending on whether it is a leap year.

Today, Ethiopia still embraces its calendar system.

However, many Ethiopians also use the normal world calendar for the sake of visitors. They thus switch between the Ethiopian calendar and the Gregorian calendar as the need arises.

So, as a visitor, you will not experience inconveniences due to the differences in the calendars.

In fact, the Ethiopians have used the difference in their calendar to their advantage by making ‘Thirteen Months of Sunshine’ their slogan.

The Ethiopian Calendar is 7/8 Years Behind The Gregorian Calendar

As if the 13 months in a year is not enough, the Ethiopian calendar is behind the Gregorian calendar by 7 to 8 years. This really fascinated me!

So, while it’s the year 2024 in the rest of the world, it’s 2017 in Ethiopia (7 years behind the rest of the world).

You see, the world calendar is based on the year Jesus Christ was born. It claims that Jesus was born in AD 1.

However, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims that Jesus was born in 7 BC. This is why there is a 7/8-year difference between the two calendars.

September Is The First Month Of The Year In The Ethiopian Calendar (Ethiopia Celebrates New Year In September)

Another amazing thing about the Ethiopian calendar is that January is not the first month of the year. September (Meskerem) is the first month of the year in the Ethiopian calendar.

Ethiopia’s New Year starts on 11 September and ends on 10 October. Ethiopians therefore hold their New Year Celebrations on 11th September instead of 1st January.

Ethiopians Celebrate Christmas On 7th January

I was also amazed to find out that Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on a different day from the rest of the world. Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on 7th January instead of 25th December.

So, if you want to celebrate two Christmases or two New Year’s Days in your lifetime, visit Ethiopia (winking).  

By the way, Ethiopians love to celebrate New Year and Christmas. They celebrate these two days with lots of pomp and color.

Ethiopians Calculate Time Using Sunset and Sunrise Hours

Another fascinating thing about Ethiopians is that they don’t calculate time using the standard international time system. They calculate time using sunset and sunrise hours.

They divide the day into two 12-hour sections. The two sections start at 06.00. The first 12-hour section starts from 6.00 am (sunrise) to 6.00 pm (sunset). The second 12-hour section starts from 6.00 pm (sunset) to 6.00 am (sunrise).

The first hour of their day is 1 o’clock (7.00 am). So, when it’s 7.00 am in the rest of the world, Ethiopians say it’s 1 o’clock. 7.00 pm is also 1 o’clock. When it’s 9.00 pm International Time, Ethiopians say it’s 3 o’clock. Midday and midnight are both 6 o’clock.  Confusing. Right?

So, if you have a date with an Ethiopian at 10 o’clock, if you are not careful, your date might show up at 4.00 pm.

Fortunately, Ethiopians know how to use the Ethiopian time and International time. Most of them use International Time when dealing with business or foreigners.

Ethiopia Is The Birthplace of Arabica Coffee

When you sip that freshly brewed coffee, have you ever thought about its origins? Well, there is a myth claiming that Arabica coffee originated from Ethiopia.

The myth says that once upon a time, a goat herder experienced something strange. His goats were dancing as they ate red berries from an unfamiliar tree in the forest. He decided to taste the berries and when he did, he also started dancing.

He started visiting the tree regularly to eat the berries. He eventually discovered that the berries energized him and kept him awake for his prayers. And as they say, the rest is history.

Arab traders later took the Arabica coffee berries to the rest of the world. Today, Ethiopia is one of the leading producers of Arabica coffee in Africa and the fifth largest producer in the world.

Ethiopia’s climate and soil make their Arabica coffee’s aroma unique and superior. The country is famous for producing coffee aromas such as Yirgacheffe, bergamot, sweet citrus, succulent peach, ripe blueberry, and jasmine blossom.

So, next time you take that sip of refreshing coffee, allow your mind to wander back to the goat herder in Ethiopia who discovered this precious commodity.

Ethiopia Was Never Colonized

Do you know that many of the countries in the world were once colonized? Oh yes. Even superpowers like the USA were once colonized by the Netherlands, Spain, France, and Britain.

Interestingly, out of the 54 African countries, Ethiopia and Liberia were the only countries not colonized.

Italy attempted to colonize Ethiopia in 1895. They were however unable to fully control the country.

The Ethiopian forces defeated the Italian forces at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. The Italians eventually left the country after the humiliating defeat.

It is believed the reason Ethiopia was not colonized was its financial muscle. It was considered one of the superpowers of that era.

It’s also a landlocked country and it was therefore difficult for would-be colonizers to access it.

The citizens of Ethiopia were also united in fighting their enemies.

Since Ethiopia did not experience the influence that comes with colonization, the country was able to preserve its rich culture to date.

No wonder they even have a 13-month calendar and a unique time system.

Ethiopia Is The Home Country Of Haile Selassie Who The Rastafarians Worship

The Rastafarian movement was born in 1930 in Jamaica. This was after a 38-year-old Ethiopian called Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned Ethiopia’s Emporer.

They believed that the crowning of a black man as king fulfilled a biblical prophecy.

Rastafarians believe in Jah and that Jah resides within every person.

Rastafarians revere Haile Selassie who was the Ethiopian Emperor from 1930 to 1974. Some regard him as a human prophet while others think he is Jah incarnate.

Interestingly, Haile Selassie was not a Rastafarian. He was a devout Orthodox Christian. However, the Rastafarians still revered him as the Lion of Judah.

Today, there is still a Rastafarian community in Ethiopia and the movement still exists in different parts of the world.

An Ethiopian, Abebe Bikila Was the First African to Win a Gold Medal in the Olympics – He Ran Barefoot

Do you know Ethiopia has some of the best marathoners in Africa and the world? Now you know.

Interestingly, the first African to win an Olympic gold medal was Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia.

He shocked the world by bagging the coveted prize in the Rome Summer Olympics of 1960.

The race was 26.2 miles. He won in a world-record time of 2:15:16.

His win was legendary because he ran barefoot on streets partially covered with cobblestones. He thus broke the world’s record against all odds.

The reason Bikila ran without shoes was because his running shoes were worn out. He purchased new shoes but found them uncomfortable when running in them (I know you can relate). He decided to discard the shoes and run barefoot.

Four years later (1964), Abebe Bikila won the same race in Tokyo.

The amazing thing about his win was that he had just recovered from an appendectomy a few weeks before the race.

He defended his title and went on to break his own world record by finishing the race in 2:12:11.

By the way, he wore shoes this time around (I know you’re wondering).

Ethiopia Claims To Have The Ark Of The Covenant

Do you remember the Ark of the Covenant that carried the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses? Well, there are claims that it is in safe custody in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is an Orthodox country and one of the countries mentioned numerous times in the Bible. Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia claim that the Ark of the Covenant is in Axum City, inside St. Mary of Zion Church.

There is a legend claiming that the Ark was brought to Ethiopia in the 10th century BC.

The claims say nobody is permitted to see or touch the Ark apart from the guardian ordained to care for it. He prays, burns incense before the ark, and pays tribute to God day and night.

It is claimed that the Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia are ready to protect the Ark with their lives.

Conclusion

If you are planning to visit East Africa, I’d urge you to ensure Ethiopia is on your bucket list.

It’s among the few countries in the world with their own calendars and unique clock systems.

In addition, you can experience everything from beautiful people to breathtaking nature. You could also explore their rich cultural heritage, festivals, art, great food, etc..

Last but not least, you can drown yourself with cups and cups of fresh, Arabica coffee right from the source.

Which is the most fascinating country you’ve visited. Please share in the comments section below. Cheers!

Also read: Video: Enjoy Yourself it’s Later than You Think; by Doris Day: A 74-year-old song with a timeless message.