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Comparing calendars
Ethiopian vs Gregorian
The Ethiopian calendar runs seven to eight years behind the Gregorian and keeps thirteen months — twelve of thirty days and a short one of five or six — so it is not only a different year but a different shape of year.
| Attribute | Ethiopian | Gregorian |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Solar (Alexandrian) | Solar |
| Origin | Ethiopian (Geʼez) tradition, from the ancient Egyptian calendar | A 1582 reform of the Julian calendar, under Pope Gregory XIII |
| Year | 13 months — twelve of 30 days and one of 5 or 6 | 365 days, or 366 in a leap year (365.2425 on average) |
| Months | 13 (twelve of 30 days, plus Pagumē) | 12, of 28–31 days |
| Week | 7 days | 7 days |
| Leap rule | One leap day every 4 years, with no century exception | One leap day every 4 years — but not in a century year unless it divides by 400 |
| Counts years from | The Ethiopian era of the Incarnation — 7 to 8 years behind | The traditional birth of Christ (AD / CE) |
| Where it’s used | Ethiopia and Eritrea; the Ethiopian Orthodox church | The world’s common civil calendar |
See this moment on each: Ethiopian calendar · Gregorian calendar. Or convert a specific date into both.