Today is Christmas in Ethiopia. Literally.

While Kenyans are in September 2026, Ethiopians woke up this morning, Friday September 11, to celebrate Enkutatash - their New Year. And the crazy part? They are not entering 2027. They are entering 2019.

Yes, Ethiopia is living 7 years behind the rest of the world.

As we complain about the high cost of living in September, our neighbors in Addis Ababa are singing, dancing, eating doro wat and welcoming 2019.

Why is Ethiopia in 2019?

It is because Ethiopia refused to follow the Gregorian calendar that the rest of the world uses. They still use their own ancient calendar, which is based on the Coptic calendar. It has 13 months - 12 months of 30 days each, and one small month of 5 or 6 days.

According to Ethiopian tradition, this calendar is older and more accurate. So while the Catholic Church calculated Jesus was born 2026 years ago, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church says it is 2019 years.

That is why they say today is Meskerem 1, the first day of the Ethiopian year.

The name Enkutatash means "gift of jewels" in Amharic. Legend says it started when Queen Sheba returned from visiting King Solomon in Jerusalem. Her chiefs welcomed her with jewels - Enku - to refill her treasury.

Today the country is painted yellow. Not with decorations from the shop, but with real flowers. It marks the end of the long rainy season. A yellow flower called Adey Ababa - which looks like our daisies - blooms everywhere. Girls wear new white dresses called habesha kemis with colorful embroidery, move house to house singing "Abebayehosh" and give flowers to neighbors.

Then families go home for a big feast. They slaughter sheep, chicken and even oxen. They cook injera and doro wat, pray in church for peace, and wish each other "Enkutatash!"

Ethiopia is also the only country that counts time differently. Their day starts at 6am, not midnight. So when they say it is 2 o'clock, it is actually 8am for us.

In Addis Ababa today, there are massive celebrations at Raguel Church on Mount Entoto, parades, music and dancing. Even in Washington DC, Ethiopians in diaspora are holding the biggest Enkutatash party tonight at the Convention Center.

So if someone tells you they have travelled back in time, tell them to go to Ethiopia. They are literally in 2019