Responses to Information Requests

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13 January 2017

ETH105728.E

Ethiopia: Resources for converting dates from the Ethiopian to Gregorian calendar; formula or method for converting dates between the two calendars

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

According to sources, the Ethiopian calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar (The Africa Report 9 Sept. 2011; Condé Nast Traveller India 19 July 2016; Ethiopia n.d.). According to information provided on the website of the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in London, whether the Ethiopian calendar is seven or eight years behind the Gregorian calendar "depend[s] on whether the date is before or after [the] 1st [of] January" (Ethiopia n.d.). A 2016 article in Condé Nast Traveller India, a travel magazine, cites "Dr. Jonathan Ben-Dov, researcher of calendars in antiquity at [the] Department of Biblical Studies [at the] University of Haifa," as explaining that the Ethiopian calendar is seven years behind "when measured between the Ethiopian new year, which falls on 11 September, and 31 December" and is eight years behind "when measured between 1 January and 10 September" (Condé Nast Traveller India 19 July 2016).

According to the Embassy website,

[t]he Ethiopian year consists of thirteen months; twelve of 30 days each and an additional month of five or six days, depending on whether it is a leap year. The first month of the Ethiopian year is September (or Meskerem) and New Year's Day takes place on what is the 11th [of] September in the Western calendar. (Ethiopia n.d.)

A copy of the page, including the names of the months, date ranges and Gregorian equivalent dates, is attached to this Response.

Information on a standardized formula, conversion method, or online date conversion tool could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

The Africa Report. 9 September 2011. "Ethiopia Celebrates New Year 7 Years Behind Gregorian Calendar." [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017]

Condé Nast Traveller India. 19 July 2016. Smita Pranav Kothari. "Why Everyone in Ethiopia Is Seven Years Younger." [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017]

Ethiopia. N.d. Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the United Kingdom. "Calendar." [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017]

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet Sites, Including: Addis Ababa University – Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Informatics, School of Graduate Studies; Calenworld; ecoi.net; Georgetown University Library; Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education; University of Pennsylvania, African Studies Center; UN – Refworld; US – Department of State, Library of Congress.

Attachment

Ethiopia. N.d. Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the United Kingdom. "Calendar." [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017]

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