Ethiopia begs to be different; the country is celebrating Christmas on January 7, 2024.
This is more than a fortnight after the rest of the Christendom World observed the popular version of the Birth of Jesus Christ on December 25, 2023.
But other than rejoicing the Birth of the Messiah on January 7, it is also important to remember that in January 2024, Ethiopia will still be in the year 2016.
Yes, the Ethiopian day-count is eight years behind the rest of the world’s calendar.
The Christmas Holiday in Ethiopia is known as Ganna (sometimes spelled Genna) and is usually celebrated on the seventh day of January in each year.
Just like many other Orthodox Churches or the Greek Catholics around the world, the date for Christmas holiday is fixed on January 7 in Ethiopia.
This is because the months of the Ethiopian calendar happen to be different.
The Genna or Ganna usually occurs on the 29th day of the month of Tahsas.
Due to that therefore, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church considers the Seventh day of January to be the day that Jesus Christ was born and is therefore the day for major religious activity in the Eastern African Country
The country is officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE).
But during medieval times the country located at the heart of Africa was called Abyssinia.
Ethiopia is a landlocked country mapped within the Horn of Africa, though more often than not, it is being considered to be an East African Country.
Ethiopia shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east and northeast, Kenya to the south, South Sudan to the west, and Sudan to the northwest.
Ethiopia is among the countries waiting on the wings to join the East African Community (EAC).
By the end of the year 2022, Ethiopia’s population had reached 113.5 million people, which means the country could be heading towards the population of 114 million or more, now.
So far it ranks at Number 13 as among countries with highest populations in the world.
On the African continent Ethiopia is the second most populous country after Nigeria.
Being a Multi-Ethnic Country Ethiopia also happens to be home to more than 80 different tribes.
On the other hand Tanzania, a country with a population of 62 million, has 120 different ethnic groups.
And when it comes to religion, Christianity is the most widely professed faith in Ethiopia.
In fact, many historical biblical monuments are said to be found in Ethiopia including the legendary ‘Ark of the Covenant.’
There are however a few residents who practice Islam and a significant other who still cling to their tested and proven traditional faiths.
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