Ethiopian calendar converter
Today in the Ethiopian calendar: 2019 E.C. Convert any date between the Ethiopian and Gregorian calendars below.
The 13 Ethiopian months
| # | Month | Amharic | Starts on (Gregorian) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meskerem | መስከረም | 11 September |
| 2 | Tikimt | ጥቅምት | 11 October |
| 3 | Hidar | ኅዳር | 10 November |
| 4 | Tahsas | ታኅሣሥ | 10 December |
| 5 | Tir | ጥር | 9 January |
| 6 | Yekatit | የካቲት | 8 February |
| 7 | Megabit | መጋቢት | 10 March |
| 8 | Miyazya | ሚያዝያ | 9 April |
| 9 | Ginbot | ግንቦት | 9 May |
| 10 | Sene | ሰኔ | 8 June |
| 11 | Hamle | ሐምሌ | 8 July |
| 12 | Nehase | ነሐሴ | 7 August |
| 13 | Pagume | ጳጉሜ | 6 September |
Dates shown are for 2019 E.C. (2026–27). In the year after an Ethiopian leap year, every month starts one day later until the end of February.
How the Ethiopian calendar works
- Twelve months of 30 days, then ጳጉሜ with 5 days, or 6 every fourth year. 2019 E.C. is a leap year, so it ends with ጳጉሜ 6.
- The year starts in September, on Enkutatash, መስከረም 1.
- Years are written with ዓ.ም. (ዓመተ ምሕረት, “year of mercy”), shortened to E.C. in English.
- Formal dates often use Ge’ez numerals, for example ጥቅምት ፬ ቀን ፳፻፲፱ ዓ.ም. Use the Ge’ez number converter for any number.
Holidays in 2019 E.C.
| Holiday | Ethiopian date | Gregorian date |
|---|---|---|
| Enkutatash (New Year) | መስከረም 1 | 11 September 2026 |
| Meskel | መስከረም 17 | 27 September 2026 |
| Genna (Christmas) | ታኅሣሥ 29 | 7 January 2027 |
| Timket (Epiphany) | ጥር 11 | 19 January 2027 |
| Adwa Victory Day | የካቲት 23 | 2 March 2027 |
Fasika (Easter) and the Muslim holidays move each year, so they are not listed here.
Type Ethiopian dates on your phone
With Addiyon Keyboard you type month names from English letters (meskerem → መስከረም), and the ፩፪ key on the number page gives every Ge’ez numeral. For the time of day, see the Ethiopian time converter.
Common questions.
What year is it in the Ethiopian calendar?
It is 2019 E.C. (፳፻፲፱ ዓ.ም.). The year began on መስከረም 1, which was 11 September 2026, and 2020 E.C. begins on 12 September 2027.
Why is the Ethiopian calendar 7 or 8 years behind?
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church dates the birth of Christ differently from the Western churches, so its year count starts later. From September to December the gap is 7 years; from January to early September it is 8.
How many months are in the Ethiopian calendar?
Thirteen. Twelve months have 30 days each, and the short thirteenth month, ጳጉሜ (Pagume), has 5 days, or 6 in a leap year.
When is the Ethiopian new year?
Enkutatash (እንቁጣጣሽ) falls on መስከረም 1, which is 11 September, or 12 September in the year before a Gregorian leap year.
How do I write an Ethiopian date in Amharic?
Write the month, the day, ቀን, the year, then ዓ.ም.: ጥቅምት 4 ቀን 2019 ዓ.ም. On your phone, Addiyon Keyboard types it from English letters, and its ፩፪ key gives Ge’ez numerals for formal dates.
Type Amharic in every app.
Addiyon Keyboard is free on Google Play. It turns English letters into Fidel as you type, works offline, and keeps your typing on your phone.