Ethiopia is the only Christian country that still follows the Julian calendar and consequently, it is seven years and eight months behind the rest of the Christian world (which follows the revised Gregorian calendar). Thus, the Ethiopian calendar consists of 13 months: 12 months of 30 days and another month of five (or six days in leap years) days duration.
If this can be confusing, you also need to know that Ethiopians measure time in cycles of 12 hours starting when the sun rises at 6 a.m.
Even though there are more than 80 different languages spoken in Ethiopia, Amharic is the official language, a semiotic language descending from Ge’ez, the language of ancient Axum which is still used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Amharic has its own alphabet, consisting of 209 symbols and 25 letter variants. Other regional languages such as Oromigna, Tigrinya, and Arabic are also widely spoken, along with English, used in the administration and for secondary education.
Teff is the grain cereal used to make the Ethiopian staple dish known as injera. It is believed to have originated between 4,000 and 1,000 years B.C. in Ethiopia. Teff is the smallest grain in the world and is becoming very popular among Western countries for being a great gluten-free energy source. Injera is a unique flatbread with a slightly spongy texture made out of teff flour and accompanied with different sorts of wot or stews and its eating ritual consists of taking a piece in your hand and using it to scoop the accompaniment.
It is believed that the Ethiopian highlands gathered the origin of the coffee plant. According to a legend, Kaldi, an Ethiopian shepherd, once discovered the properties of this stimulating plant after noticing that his goats became very active and awake after eating berries from a certain tree.
Nowadays the Ethiopian buna (“coffee” in Amharic) is popular worldwide. In fact, Ethiopia is the top coffee-producing country in Africa, and Arabica beans are especially appreciated. The coffee ceremony is one of the most recognizable parts of its culture, offering this peculiar ritual during festivities, visits, or as a daily routine for community or family meetings.
Ethiopia is considered as one of the oldest Christian nations in the World, adopting Christianity during the 4th Century. It is also claimed to be the home to the legendary Ark of the Covenant containing the 10 Commandments.
This relic is said to be kept in Axum and only one man is allowed to see it. Also, Ethiopia is the home of the Black Jews, known as Falashas or Beta Israel and Islam also appeared early in Ethiopia when Mohammed’s followers were persecuted and sought refuge in Abyssinia. Despite this melting pot of different religions, the country is known for its peaceful coexistence and respect.
The Afar desert of Ethiopia, in the Middle Awash, is the early home of our human ancestors. According to the latest research, fossils of Homo gender have been found buried in the soil of this area. This is also the area where “Lucy”, one of the World’s most famous fossils, was also found. A visit to the National Museum of Addis Ababa will guide you through the history of humanity’s birthplace.
There are nine places in Ethiopia considered as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Simien Mountains National Park is the only natural site while the others are listed as cultural sites, including the ruins of the city of Axum; the fortified historic route of Harar Jugol; the stonewalled terraces of Konso, (also known as the “natural New York village”); the lower valleys of both the Awash and the Omo River where the evidence of human evolution was found; the eleven rock-hewn churches of Lalibela;, and Tiya with its 32 carved stelae covered with indecipherable symbols.