If you did not make the most of the new millenium elsewhere, there is still time to catch it in Ethiopia. Yes, Ethiopia still clings to to its unique and ancient system of measuring time. Seven years after much of the world marked the begining of the 21st century, Ethiopia is finally approaching the year 2000. The Ethiopian calender is closely related to the calender of the coptic Egypt and is regulated by the same astronomical laws as governed by the julian calender of Europe.

The Ethiopian year comprises 365 days, divided into thirteen months - twelve months of 30 days and one additional month of five days. To the 365 -day year is added one extra day every fourth year, or leap year. The relationship between the years used in Ethiopia and those used in the West is complicated by the fact that whereas Ethiopia had a single, unchanging system, the Europeans had two system, first the julian and later the gregorian. The latter, which was introduced by pope Gregory XII on 15 october 1582, has been changed on fewer than three occasions. This happened on 28 february 1700, 28 february 1800 and 1 march 1900- with a further rectification due to take place on 28 february 2100. This changes in the gregorian calender have resulted in significant changes in its relationship to the unchanging Ethiopian calender. The Ethiopian new year has thus begun, according to the Gregorian dates on 8,9,10 and 11 september successively.

Whereas the Ethiopian calendar’s years, months and days are essentially christian and to greater or a lesser extent related to those of the Egyptian coptic church, the arrangement of the hours is basically the same as that in other parts of africa. The ethiopian twelve hour a day thus begins, very logically, at dawn and ends with dusk- both of which phenomena can easily be observed. The cocept of midday and midnight both difficult to establish without clocks, are therefore not traditionally used. Dawn is thus the begining of the Ethiopian day, six o’clock being twelve o’clock (midday) to the westerners.

Ethiopia is planing to celebrate its millenium in style. Festivities will include a nation wide music festival, a series of cultural conferences, the planting of 56 million trees and building a national academy for 2000 poor but gifted students. Millenium festival will showcase the most spectacular cluster of events and projects the nation has everseen in living memory. It will run from september 2007 to september 2008. The National programme will give everyone in Ethiopia the opportunity to participate in wide ranging projects that will make a lasting difference to the society. The festival on the other hand, will add sparkle and give backing for local millenium celebrations the length and breath of Ethiopia. At the start of the (Western) millenium some prophets of doom forecast that all sorts of terrible things were going to happen including the end of the world. Of course, nothing did happen. For Ethiopia it will be the start of new age, and perpharps the chance to move forward into a more prosperous era , albeit seven years behind the rest of the world.