EOTC Heritage Hub
Your Digital Reference for Ethiopian Orthodox Faith and Culture
Welcome to the EOTC Heritage Hub on BK Amharic. This page is a dedicated digital library for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church community. Here, you’ll find a curated collection of essential cultural and religious reference materials, including liturgical calendars, hymn resources, saints’ stories (Gedlat), and other key documents.
Please note, this space is designed to provide supporting materials only and does not host religious lessons or discussions. We hope this collection serves as a valuable resource to enrich your connection to our ancient faith and vibrant heritage.
የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቀን መቁጠሪያ
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Calendar
ከጎርጎርያን ወደ ኢትዮጵያ ቀይር
Understanding the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Calendar
Welcome to our interactive Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) calendar. This ancient and sacred calendar is a cornerstone of faith and daily life in Ethiopia, deeply intertwined with the nation’s culture and spirituality. It serves as a guide for holy feasts, fasts, and the commemoration of saints.
The EOTC calendar is unique, based on the Coptic calendar, and differs significantly from the Gregorian calendar used by most of the world. It consists of 12 months of 30 days each, concluding with a 13th month, Pagumē, which has five days (or six in a leap year). Due to a different calculation of the Annunciation, the Ethiopian calendar is approximately seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. The new year, called Enkutatash (እንቁጣጣሽ), begins on Meskerem 1, which corresponds to September 11th or 12th.
A central feature of the calendar is the four-year cycle dedicated to the Four Evangelists: Matthew (ማቴዎስ), Mark (ማርቆስ), Luke (ሉቃስ), and John (ዮሐንስ). Each year, or Zemene (ዘመነ), is named after one of the Evangelists in this repeating order, with the Year of Luke always being the leap year. This cycle assigns a unique spiritual focus to each year, reflecting the theological themes of its corresponding Gospel.
This digital calendar is designed to be a helpful tool for both the faithful and the curious, providing a bridge between the EOTC and Gregorian systems while offering rich details about its holy days.
How to Use This Interactive Calendar
This calendar is packed with features to help you explore its rich details. Here’s a quick guide:
1. Navigate Through Time Use the ቀደም (Previous) and ቀጣይ (Next) buttons to move backward and forward through the months. The current Ethiopian month and year are always displayed at the top center, in both Amharic/Ge’ez and English formats.
2. Explore the Year of the Evangelist Just below the month and year, you will see an attractive 3D button displaying the name of the current year’s Evangelist (e.g., ዘመነ ማርቆስ). Click this button to open a pop-up window that provides a detailed explanation of the year’s spiritual significance and message, in both Amharic and English.
3. Understand the Colors Each day on the calendar is color-coded to signify its importance. You can always refer to the legend at the bottom of the calendar:
🟨 Yellow: Marks the New Year (Enkutatash).
🟥 Red: Indicates a Major Fixed Feast, such as Christmas (Gena) or the Finding of the True Cross (Meskel).
🟫 Brown: Represents a Major Movable Feast, calculated based on the date of Easter (Fasika), such as Hosanna (Palm Sunday).
🟩 Green: Signifies a fasting day.
Yellow Outline: Highlights today’s date.
Purple Outline: Marks the Gahad Fasts (ጾመ ገኃድ), the fasts on the eves of Genna and Timket.
4. Get Daily Details Click on any day to open a pop-up window. This view provides more information, including:
The names of the saints and martyrs commemorated on that day.
The name of any major feast or fasting period.
The corresponding Gregorian date.
5. Convert Dates Easily switch between the calendar and a date converter by clicking the መለወጫ (Converter) button.
Select a date from the Gregorian calendar using the date picker.
Click the ቀይር (Convert) button to instantly see the corresponding date in the Ethiopian calendar.
6. Search for Holidays and Saints Use the “ፈልግ” (Search) bar at the top of the calendar.
Type the name of a holiday (e.g., “Fasika”, “Gena”), a saint (e.g., “Gebre Menfes Kidus”, “Giorgis”), or a commemoration.
The results will appear below the search bar, showing you the date of the event.
7. Learn About Fasting Seasons Below the calendar grid, the fasts are organized into two important categories:
Official Fasting Seasons (የጾም ወቅቶች): This list contains the seven canonical fasts that are obligatory for the faithful, displayed in their official order.
Optional Devotional Fast (ተጨማሪ ጾም): This section lists cherished fasts, like Zemene Tsige (ዘመነ ጽጌ), which are not obligatory but are widely observed out of personal devotion.
Click on the name of any fast from either list to open a detailed pop-up. This view provides the specific dates for the current year, along with a description of the fast’s purpose and history in both Amharic and English.
We hope this tool enriches your understanding and observance of the holy Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo calendar.
Disclaimer and Methodology
This Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) calendar is the result of rigorous research and a deep commitment to accurately representing the sacred traditions and liturgical cycles of the Church.
Research, Validation, and Consultation
Our development process was guided by a meticulous research methodology. To ensure doctrinal and traditional alignment, we prioritized foundational EOTC texts, such as the Synaxarion (ስንክሳር), and other established ecclesiastical calendars as primary sources. The calendar has been systematically tested and validated against these reputable sources to verify the accuracy of dates for fixed feasts, movable feasts, fasting seasons, and daily commemorations.
Furthermore, this work was enhanced through consultation with individuals possessing deep, generational knowledge of EOTC teachings. Their invaluable insight, advice, and guidance were instrumental in shaping the final result.
Accuracy and Official Status
We have great confidence in the accuracy and fidelity of this calendar, as its content is based solely on Ethiopian Orthodox teachings and is designed to reflect the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the faith.
However, it is essential for users to understand that, while we have strived for utmost accuracy, this calendar has not yet received an official blessing from the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Therefore, it should be considered a devotional and informational resource, not an official ecclesiastical publication. We hold the Church’s authority in the highest regard and are hopeful that in the near future, we will have the opportunity to present this work to seek its formal approval and blessing.
Thank you for using our calendar.
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