Happy 2019! New Year in Ethiopia and Eritrea
On 11 September 2026, Ethiopia and Eritrea celebrate New Year's Day — and welcome the year 2019. That is not a typo: both countries follow the ancient Geez calendar, which runs seven to eight years behind the Gregorian one. For millions of Ethiopians and Eritreans abroad, this is the biggest calling day of the year: everyone phones home to wish the family ርሑስ ሓድሽ ዓመት — a blessed new year. Here is what the holiday is about, and how to make that call without the holiday price tag.
A calendar with thirteen months
The Geez calendar, kept by the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox churches and used in everyday life in both countries, has thirteen months: twelve of exactly thirty days each, plus a short thirteenth month called Pagume with five days (six in a leap year). That tidy structure is why the old Ethiopian tourism slogan promised "thirteen months of sunshine."
The seven-to-eight-year gap with the Western calendar comes from a different ancient calculation of the year of the Annunciation — the Ethiopian church kept the older Alexandrian reckoning while Europe adopted a later one. So when 1 Meskerem, the first day of the new year, arrives on 11 September 2026, the year 2019 begins in Addis Ababa and Asmara.
Enkutatash: flowers and songs in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia the holiday is called Enkutatash, often translated as "gift of jewels" — legend ties the name to the welcome the Queen of Sheba received on returning home. Its timing is no accident: the heavy summer rains have just ended, and the highlands turn gold with Adey Abeba daisies. Children pick bouquets of them and go door to door; girls sing the traditional Abebayehosh song and are given small gifts in return.
Families gather for a festive meal — often doro wat, the slow-cooked chicken stew — followed by the unhurried coffee ceremony, with beans roasted on the spot and three rounds poured from the clay jebena. New clothes for the children, fresh-cut grass on the floor, neighbours dropping in: it is a family day above all, much like 1 January elsewhere.
Kudus Yohannes: bonfire eve in Eritrea
In Eritrea the same day is known as Kudus Yohannes (St John's Day) or Ri'se Awde Amet — "the head of the year." The celebration starts the evening before: in villages and city neighbourhoods, young people light small bonfires and torches and sing traditional songs as the old year burns out. On the day itself, families share himbasha, the lightly sweet celebration bread, and the coffee ceremony runs long into the afternoon.
It is exactly the kind of day when a call from abroad means the most — the whole family is in one room, from grandparents to the youngest kids, and the phone gets passed around the table.
When to call on New Year's Day
Both countries are on East Africa Time, UTC+3, with no daylight saving. On 11 September that puts Addis Ababa and Asmara one hour ahead of Central Europe, two hours ahead of the UK, and seven hours ahead of New York. From Europe you can call at any point of the day; from North America, a morning call lands in the Eritrean or Ethiopian afternoon — right when the family is gathered.
One caution when a relative in Ethiopia says "call at 3": everyday Ethiopian time counts hours from dawn, so "3 o'clock in the day" means 9:00 in the morning by the 24-hour clock. When in doubt, agree on the time "in European time" — everyone with family abroad knows the trick.
How to dial
Ethiopia's country code is +251, Eritrea's is +291. Drop the leading zero of the local number and dial:
| Destination | Mobile example | Landline example |
|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia | +251 91 123 4567 |
+251 11 518 2345 (Addis Ababa) |
| Eritrea | +291 7 123 456 |
+291 8 370 362 (Asmara) |
Save every contact in this international format once, and it works from any country and any app. Step-by-step dialing guides live in our articles on calling Ethiopia and calling Eritrea.
A long holiday call that doesn't hurt
New Year calls are the opposite of quick check-ins — everyone wants their minute with everyone. Dialed directly from a mobile-operator plan, an hour of +251 or +291 can cost a small fortune: calls to Eritrea in particular are among the most expensive in the world, because all traffic terminates on a single national network.
With eFon you pay one clear per-minute rate and no connection fee — up to 90% less than dialling directly on a mobile-operator plan. Only your side needs internet: mama picks up a regular call on her phone or landline, no app and no data needed in Ethiopia or Eritrea. Check the current rates for calls to Ethiopia and calls to Eritrea, top up before the 11th, and take your time — ርሑስ ሓድሽ ዓመት, መልካም አዲስ ዓመት, happy 2019!