Yesterday I was lucky enough to bump into a big group of Ethiopian priests in their full gear while they were getting off their coach. I wanted to wish them all a very happy new year but at that very moment my brain’s long term memory of the Amharic department was closed, so I greeted them in English instead. So here goes to all of you once more: melkam addis amet!

“Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) falls on September 1 Ethiopian calendar (September 11 Gregorian Calendar) at the end of the Ethiopian rain season and is called Enkutatash. September 1 is also celebrated to mark the commemoration of Saint John the Baptist. Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) is not only a religious holiday but it also a day for young boys and girls to sing and dance and for exchanging New Year greetings among urban and rural inhabitants.”

Source: Ethiopian Treasures