Next: 12 Sept 2027
Enkutatash
The Ethiopian New Year in September, with yellow Meskel daisies, children's songs and a family coffee ceremony.
When is Enkutatash in 2027?
Enkutatash 2027 is on Sunday, 12 September 2027. Other years: 2026, Friday, 11 September 2026; 2028, Monday, 11 September 2028.
About Enkutatash
Enkutatash, "gift of jewels", is the Ethiopian new year, on 1 Meskerem, which falls on 11 September or on the 12th in the year before a leap year. According to legend it was when the Queen of Sheba returned from visiting King Solomon in Jerusalem with gifts of jewels. The rainy season ends and the countryside is covered in yellow Meskel daisies, which are picked and placed in the home. Children walk door to door carrying bouquets and a painting they made, singing New Year songs, and are given bread or small gifts. Families gather for a feast with doro wat, chicken stew, injera flatbread and honey wine, tej, and the coffee ceremony, and visit church for services. Ethiopia has its own calendar, which is about seven years behind the Gregorian.
Enkutatash dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Enkutatash date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, 11 September 2026 |
| 2027 | Sunday, 12 September 2027 |
| 2028 | Monday, 11 September 2028 |
What is eaten
- doro wat
- injera
- tej
- coffee
Also part of it, and being written: Ethiopian calendar (The calendar with thirteen months.), Injera (The flatbread of every feast.), Ethiopian coffee ceremony (The roasted-and-poured coffee ritual.).
More marked on Enkutatash
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Enkutatash" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.