I know that today is September 12, but it is the New Year in Ethiopia! Ethiopia follows the Coptic or Julian calendar, as opposed to the Gregorian Calendar (which is used in the US and most of the world). New Year's in Ethiopia is on September 11, but on leap years on the Julian calendar it is on September 12. The new current year in Ethiopia is 2001. Of course, Ethiopians know the Gregorian calendar and follow the rest of the world's calendar for business and official purposes.
The Ethiopian New Year is called Enkutatash, which means "gift of jewels" and it marks the end of the heavy rain season. It is historically set by the return of the Queen of Sheba to Ethiopia after she visited King Solomon in Jerusalem. Enkutatash is not only a religious holiday but it is also a day for children to sing and dance and for exchanging New Year greetings. Happy New Year!
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