Cultural calendar
Ethiopian Calendar 2026 (2018–2019 EC)
The Ethiopian calendar is roughly 7–8 years behind the Gregorian and has 13 months — twelve of 30 days plus a short 13th month of 5 or 6 days. Year 2026 CE spans Ethiopian years 2018 and 2019.
The 13 Ethiopian months in 2026
| Month # | Name (Ge'ez/Amharic) | Gregorian span (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Tirr 2018 | Jan 9 – Feb 7, 2026 |
| 6 | Yekatit 2018 | Feb 8 – Mar 9, 2026 |
| 7 | Megabit 2018 | Mar 10 – Apr 8, 2026 |
| 8 | Miazia 2018 | Apr 9 – May 8, 2026 |
| 9 | Ginbot 2018 | May 9 – Jun 7, 2026 |
| 10 | Sene 2018 | Jun 8 – Jul 7, 2026 |
| 11 | Hamle 2018 | Jul 8 – Aug 6, 2026 |
| 12 | Nehasse 2018 | Aug 7 – Sep 5, 2026 |
| 13 | Pagumē 2018 | Sep 6 – Sep 10, 2026 (5 days) |
| 1 | Meskerem 2019 New Year | Sep 11 – Oct 10, 2026 |
| 2 | Tikimt 2019 | Oct 11 – Nov 9, 2026 |
| 3 | Hidar 2019 | Nov 10 – Dec 9, 2026 |
| 4 | Tahsas 2019 | Dec 10, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027 |
Major Ethiopian holidays in 2026
- Genna (Ethiopian Christmas) — January 7, 2026.
- Timkat (Epiphany) — January 19, 2026. One of the most important religious festivals — three days of ceremony commemorating Christ's baptism.
- Fasika (Ethiopian Easter) — April 12, 2026 (Orthodox calculation).
- Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) — September 11, 2026. Marks the start of year 2019 EC.
- Meskel (Finding of the True Cross) — September 27, 2026.
Why the year is "behind"
The Ethiopian calendar uses a different calculation for the birth year of Jesus than the Roman/Western tradition — roughly 7–8 years later in the Ethiopian system. This is why an Ethiopian-issued document might list "2018" while a Gregorian system shows 2026.
Years run from September to September, so each Gregorian year spans two Ethiopian years.
The 13th month — Pagumē
The leap mechanism is elegant: the 13th month Pagumē is always 5 days long, except in years before an Ethiopian leap year, when it has 6 days. Ethiopian leap years occur every 4 years, one year before Gregorian leap years.