Martin Meenagh blog

Happy new year to Abyssinia
It is still 1999 in Ethiopia, under their very old calendar, and since their calendar renews on September 11, happy september 11 2000 for next week. Do with that what you will

Comments

Ken said…

Er, yeah, I think so.

Why do they use this seriously weird calender?

9:36 am

Martin Meenagh said…

Hi Exile. I've stuck a new post above this one to explain. The basic thing is that we don't have 365 1/4 days, but a more subtle fraction, and just adding days often isn't enough. Our present Gregorian calendar goes out of kilter every 400 years; the Julian every hundred or so (last used in the old Russian Empire to 1917) and teh french revolutionary calendar every 4000 years. Ethiopians also have every reason to be a self-confident proud people...that's until, of course, Starbucks actually sets down rather than just taking the coffee beans!

10:39 am

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