Ethiopia started its New Year 2010, Enkutatash, on 11^th September with celebrations across the country.

Ethiopian New Year comes at a time when the heavy rainfall starts to cease, and the bright sun comes to shine over the green land covered with golden flowers known in Amharic as “Adey Abeba”, which appears in abundance this time of the year.

Various events were organised at national level for 10 consecutive days (from 1^st September) to welcome the New Year.

Government Communications Affairs Minister, Dr Negeri Lecho said, that Ethiopia has made significant gains in the socio-economic and political sectors over the past ten years. Adding the events will help inspire the government and the people of Ethiopia for further successes.

The events offered opportunities for the people and government of Ethiopia to scale up best practices and rectify challenges faced during the past ten years.

The 10-day celebrations included: Love Day, Mothers’ and Children’s Day, Elders’ Day, Peace Day, Reading Day, Green Development Day, Respect Day, National Feelings Day, Unity Day and Ethiopia Day.

Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome, in his New Year message, said the events highlighted Ethiopia’s significant gains in the socio-economic and political sectors over the past decade.

Background

Ethiopia has its own unique calendar of 13 months –  12 of which have 30 days each, and the 13^th month called Pagumen has 5 days, or 6 in a leap year.

The Ethiopian calendar is similar to the Egyptian Coptic calendar having a year of 13 months, 365 days and 366 days in a leap year (every fourth year) and it is much influenced by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which follows its ancient calendar rules and beliefs.

The Ethiopian Calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian Calendar, owing to alternate calculations in determining the date of the annunciation of the birth of Jesus.

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President Mulatu calls for ‘year of resplendance’

President Dr Mulatu Teshome, in a New Year message to the nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia, called on all citizens to strive to ensure that the New Year be accompanied by an invigorated spirit of patriotism and a culture of relentless hard work in the realisation of the Ethiopian Renaissance.  He said this time of the year is when the government and citizens alike, collectively renew their pledge to leave no stone unturned in sustaining our fast-growing economy, elevating Ethiopia`s growth to new heights in the upcoming “Ethiopian year of resplendence”. He also stated that in our quest to defeat extreme poverty, we need to redouble our multi-faceted efforts to further enhance our competitive edge in the export market by giving priority attention to the global value-added goods and services chains. This, in turn, will allow us to create an enabling environment to speed up our nation’s pursuit of industrialisation.

We also need to intensify our efforts to maintain the momentum of our agriculture-led industrialization policy which continues to equip small holder farmers and pastoralists with the knowledge and modern skills required to increase productivity, he said.

The President also highlighted that, while it is the primary duty of the government to maintain law and order and guide the democratisation and development of the nation, it must be the duty of each law-abiding citizen to nip in the bud events that disrupt peace. The President also remarked on the amnesty given to prisoners, at the recommendation of the Parole Board, stating his confidence that the recently released will go forward in the spirit of the Federal Constitution to engage in the development of the nation.

Prime Minister Hailemariam, on his part, wished all Ethiopians a Happy New Year and called on the people to continue their efforts to actively promote the growth and renaissance process that the country had begun, in the coming Ethiopian New Year. He wished all “a new era of peace, prosperity and love.”