Interesting Facts about Ethiopia

Ethiopia

I saw a post that implied that Ethiopia was 7 years behind from the rest of the world, yes, it a fact.

If you’re travelling to Ethiopia, you’re literally time traveling back to 7 years and maybe you can undo some things you did in your past right? Hahaha

I learnt so many interesting things about this beloved and oldest country in Africa so, I won’t waste time on my introduction I’ll just jump right in.

Facts I learnt about Ethiopia that will interest you

1. Like I earlier stated Ethiopia is seven (7) years behind the rest of the world, not few hours or days but 7 years and this is because of the Coptic calendar they adopted similar to the ancient Julian calendar which is very different from the Gregorian calendar used globally.
2. On September 11, Ethiopians celebrate a new year. It means that while we are still waiting for the Christmas and holiday season, Ethiopians already celebrated and crossed a new year.
3. While we are waiting for the end of 2021, Ethiopians are in year 2014.
4. The new year means different people and cultures but in Ethiopia, New Year (Enkutatash) means the “gift of jewels”. On that day, True Ethiopians in the Diaspora returns home to celebrate the New Year with families and friends.
5. Ethiopian has its own calendar which has 13 months, with 12 months of 30 days each.
6. The last month in the calendar is called Pagume, it has 5 days and 6 days in a leap year which happens every 4 years without exception.
7. In Ethiopia, the birth Of Jesus Christ (Christmas) is celebrated on January 7.
8. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church believes Jesus Christ was born in 7 BC, 5,500 years after God’s promise to Adam and Eve.
9. It is the only country in the world to have a 12-hour time system
10. Time is different in Ethiopia; it is counted differently. The Ethiopian date begins at 06:00 as opposed to 00:00, you must add or subtract 6hours to the western time. For example, 2am local time would be 8pm and 8pm would be 2pm.
11. Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia. There are many stories that led to this discovery but one about a goat herder and how his goat got energized from feeding from a particular bush stands out. When he noticed this, he chewed the fruits from the bush, took these fruits to the monks at the monastery who threw them into the fire. It was the sweet aroma from the fruit that attracted other monks who somehow decided to dissolve the fruits in hot water as a result discovered the first cup of coffee
12. Ethiopia is the only African country that was never colonised. European countries like Italy tried but suffered major defeats until it was forced to sign a treaty recognizing Ethiopia’s independence
13. The capital city of Ethiopia Addis Ababa, is the highest capital city in Africa.
14. They have over 200 dialects but Amharic is the only recognized official language of the country
15. Ethiopia and Ethiopian Airlines, is the first in Africa to own and operate a Boeing 787 Dreamliner
16. Ethiopia was mentioned over 40 times in the bible (KJV) and was also mentioned in the Quran
17. Ethiopia arguably houses the oldest people in the world. Several archaeological findings strongly suggested humanity may have started from Ethiopia.
18. In Ethiopia, some ancient laws prohibit the female gender both humans and animals from entering some monasteries and holy sites.
19. An Ethiopian woman was the first African female to become an airplane pilot. She, Weizero (MS) Asegedech Assefa was the first African female pilot to be employed by an airline thereby breaking every masculine barrier
20. Another female Ethiopian, captain Aster Tolossa is the first female pilot to shoot down an enemy fighter jet in the history of aerial warfare near Asmara, in Eritrean airspace back in 2000
21. They have some of the most beautiful women in the world
22. The Rastafarian kickstarted in Ethiopia but evolved in Jamaica
23. The Surma people of southwest Ethiopia Stick fight to find a wife. The fighting season can last for up to three months to test a man’s strength, coordination, and competitive zeal. You must knock out your opponent first
24. The very first Africa gold media was won by an Ethiopian in the Olympics of 1960 in Rome. Abebe Bikila ran the marathon barefoot and won by a full 25 seconds.
25. He became the first person to win the Olympic marathon twice at Tokyo Olympics and set a world record 4 years later
26. The first African to drive a car was Ethiopian emperor Menelik II
27. When traditional Ethiopians greet each other, they shake hands and slightly knock their shoulders together. It’s known as the “fighters’ salute”
28. Owning cattle gives you an important social status in Ethiopia. The higher your number the higher your social status which comes with a crown
29. Ethiopians love their meat raw, it’s a delicacy for them especially at weddings, festivals, and other special occasions.
30. The lowest point on Earth is in Ethiopia.
31. Ethiopia has More than 70% of Africa’s mountains

Note; At this moment, the country is in a nationwide state of emergency