Ethiopia an African country located in the Horn of Africa, officially entered 2019 on Friday, September 11, 2026, but there is no time travel mystery behind it. The country simply follows a different calendar from the Gregorian calendar used by most of the world.
However, the unusual date has attracted attention online, but the explanation is rooted in Ethiopia’s ancient calendar system rather than the country being “behind” the rest of the world.
The Ethiopian calendar is approximately seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar because the two systems use different calculations for the date of the Annunciation, the biblical event associated with the conception of Jesus.
The calendar is also unusual because it has 13 months.
Twelve months contain exactly 30 days each, while the 13th month, known as Pagume, has five days in a normal year and six during a leap year.
This means Ethiopia’s calendar has a structure that differs noticeably from the 12-month Gregorian system.
But Ethiopia’s history is just as remarkable as its calendar.
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Ethiopia is widely described as the African country that avoided European colonial rule, although Italy occupied the country between 1936 and 1941.
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Back then, Ethiopia had earlier defeated an invading Italian army at the Battle of Adwa in 1896, helping preserve its sovereignty during the Scramble for Africa.
So, when Ethiopians say it is 2019, they are not living seven years in the past.
They are following a calendar that has remained an important part of the country’s cultural and religious identity.