Kenyans are gearing up for the New Year celebrations that their Ethiopian neighbours marked almost four months ago.
Enkutatash, the New Year in Ethiopia is celebrated on September 11 or September 12 during leap years.
Different calendar
The calendar system that Kenya and most other countries around the world follow today is called the Gregorian calendar. However, Ethiopians follow their ancient calendar.
There are other countries with different calendars also. Nepal follows the Vikram Samvat alongside the Nepal Sambat calendar while Iran and Afghanistan follow the Solar Hijri calendar.
The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months, 12 of which are 30 days long. In a regular year, the last month has 5 days; in a leap year, it has 6.
Ethiopians follow a 13-month calendar similar to that used in many Eastern Orthodox churches, trailing the Western calendar by seven years and eight months.
On the Gregorian calendar, the Ethiopian New Year falls on September 11. In contrast, the common New Year observed on January 1 in most parts of the world,
Counting system
In Ethiopia, people also count time differently. The day is divided into two 12-hour slots starting from 6 am.
In the naming of the weekdays to that of the 12 months of the year, the Ethiopian calendar is greatly intertwined with biblical anecdotes.
Ethiopia uses the Julian calendar, which was the forerunner to the Gregorian calendar.
Due to different calculations used to determine the date of the announcement of Jesus' birth, the Ethiopian calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.
The birthdate of Jesus Christ serves as the starting point for calculations in both the Gregorian and Ethiopian calendars. The distinction is brought about by the use of alternative calculations to establish this date.
Because they were not colonised when white settlers (missionaries) invaded Africa, Ethiopia operates in this unnatural time zone. The Gregorian calendar was introduced to the colonies at that time.
Queen Sheba
Celebrated by believers and non-believers alike, this time of year- Enkutatash seen as a period for community and family, a time people are supposed to forget their grievances and embrace a collective shared experience, according to Brilliant Ethiopia, a news website.
It says gifts are often exchanged, with more traditional families welcoming guests with bouquets of the yellow flowers found on the foothills surrounding Addis Ababa, the same flowers that greeted the Queen of Sheba, years back.
Queen of Sheba, a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, was the queen of Egypt and Ethiopia.
Legend has it that Queen Sheba (Queen Makeda in Ethiopia), visited King Solomon to ask for his wisdom. According to the legend, along with answering her questions, the king gifted the queen with many valuable things to take back to Ethiopia with her.
The queen returned to the country at the end of the dry summer, and her comeback was marked by the miraculous blooming of yellow flowers in the foothills surrounding Addis Ababa, which indicated the end of the drought.
The food and celebrations
The New Year commences with traditional songs, usually performed by groups of Ethiopian girls.
A traditional meal of chicken stew and injera is washed down with lashings of traditional honey-based wine and fresh Ethiopian coffee.
Injera is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour.
As night time approaches, families gather and begin building a bonfire, which is lit once night descents. From here celebrations are held all night long and end at sunrise.
Ethiopians celebrate the New Year mostly at home while indulging in regional cuisine. Typically, women are in charge of making the food and beverages, while men are in charge of getting the goats or sheep and giving the money for the holiday gifts.
The New Year's Day lamb or goat is also supposed to be butchered by men who are the heads of households.
The celebration is both religious and secular. The day starts with church services, followed by the family meal. The Raguel Church, 2.5 kilometres away from Addis Ababa, on Mount Entoto, is one of the main sites of the celebration, according to Sputnik Africa, a global news agency
“The traditional table for the holiday includes chicken stew, injera (flat bread), wat (sauce), local honey-based wine and fresh Ethiopian coffee,” Sputnik Africa said.
Apart from conventional dishes, some people exchange bouquets of yellow flowers as those which greeted the Queen Sheba.
Sputnik Africa says another tradition involves going from house to house, girls sing a traditional song called "Abebayehosh" and boys offer paintings. In exchange, the children are offered money as a gesture of gratitude.
According to other sources, girls wearing new clothes spend the day gathering daisies and giving bouquets to their friends singing New Year's songs.
In the evening, families light bonfires and sing and dance around the fire, while sharing good wishes for the upcoming.
According to the Ethiopian Tourism Commission, modern Enkutatash is not only a religious holiday, as urban inhabitants, nowadays, often replace the traditional bouquet with formal New Year greetings and cards.