Ethiopians celebrate their new year, Enkutatash: Party Like It Is 2018

Ethiopia marks the beginning of its New Year – 2018. The country has its own unique calendar, which means it is seven years behind the Western calendar.

These yellow flowering of “Adey Ababa” is related to the celebration. They grow wild around the capital, Addis Ababa at this time of year. Small bunches are sold for about 50 Ethiopian Birr ($ 0.35; £ 0.25).

The seven -year -old precipice comes down to the fact that the year of birth of Jesus Christ is calculated differently in Ethiopia. When the Catholic Church changed its calculation in 500 AD, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church did not.

But the festivities – known as Enkutatash – are not tied to the church and for everyone in the country it is time to celebrate. Here, Addis Ababa suppliers enter the countryside to sell Adey Ababa, as well as freshly cut grass – both are used during traditional coffee ceremonies.

The birthplace of coffee is thought to have been in the mountain of Ethiopia. The grass and flowers are used as a decoration for ceremonies, during which the beans are baked on an open fire, ground and then cooked in a clay pan.

The trade area, including the Addisu Gebeya market, was raising in Adis Abba on New Year’s ETS, etc. Eeve, despite the rain – as people rushed to prepare for the festivities.

This is the 19-year-old tanch degeneration that came to Addis Ababa from the small town of Hancho, about 40 km (25 miles) north of the city to sell his chickens.

He told the BBC that he was making a roaring trade – hens sold for between 2000 Birr (14; £ 10) and 3000 Birr.

Chickens are preferred for those who cook a New Year’s budget holiday. They make a spicy stew called “Doro Wat”, which is served with the engineer – a traditional fermented pancake -like pancake.

For those with more money, the sheep is on the menu – usually roasted.

These sheep, decorated in festive ribbons by their owner, were sold for between $ 15,000 ($ 105; 77 British pounds) and 22,000 buir.

Families tend to gather and invite friends to join them for the Enkutatash dish or at lunch or evening – or both.

Some even kill oxen that can cost up to 300,000 Birr ($ 2,000; £ 1,550).

On New Year’s Eve, everyone is rushing to finish their shopping, and then they go to see live concerts and live bands. Here are some of the bigger concerts for the place.

I graduated in a hotel salon in Adis Ababa, where the live band welcomed in 2018 with music and glitter at midnight.

On New Year’s Eve, a traditional song known as “Abebayehosh” is heard around the city – usually performed by young girls for passers -by. In some neighborhoods they go from door to door.

The song is deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture and captures the spirit of the New Year.

Orthodox Christians continue in this spirit later during the day with church services. Here the sellers have created a stall for selling ceremonial umbrellas near a church in the city.

A priest joins the Council in the Church of Addis Ababa Ento St. Ragowel on Thursday morning to offer prayers for the coming year.

People in Ethiopia have no difficulty passing between the two calendars – when they speak local languages, the year is 2018, but in English they automatically jump forward by 2025.

Another unusual aspect of the Ethiopian calendar is that it has 13 months. The first 12 have 30 days, and this year the 13th month had only five days (a year of jump is six).

The time of the year also marks the end of the rainy season, the beginning of spring and the festivities marking the season of renewal and optimism.

This year, there is a greater sense of unity and pride, as the week began with the official launch of the great Ethiopian Renaissance dam (Gerd), which was built on the influx of the Nile River.