11/09/2026
🇪🇹HAPPY ETHIOPIAN NEW YEAR — 2019 Enkutatash | ፳፻፲፱
September 11, 2026
🌼 Melkam Addis Amet! መልካም አዲስ ዓመት! 🌼
Today, Ethiopia welcomes 2019—a new year filled with hope, renewal, gratitude, and the promise of new beginnings.
Known as Enkutatash (እንቁጣጣሽ) in Amharic and Kidus Yohannes in Ge'ez and Tigrinya, the Ethiopian New Year arrives with the beauty of spring.
The rains begin to fade, the sunshine returns, and yellow flowers burst into bloom across the countryside and cities, creating one of the most beautiful signs of a new beginning.
🌼 A celebration of culture and tradition
From the early morning, the sounds of celebration fill neighborhoods.
Young girls sing “Abebayehush,” carrying beautiful bouquets of freshly picked flowers, while boys go from house to house offering blessings and sharing drawings of saints, traditionally receiving small gifts and coins in return.
Families dress in their finest traditional clothing—beautiful, hand-woven Ethiopian garments—and gather together to welcome the New Year.
The celebration continues around the family table with beloved traditional foods such as Doro Wot (ዶሮ ወጥ), Ye Beg Tibs (የበግ ጥብስ), injera, and traditional breads such as Difo Dabo, Himbasha, and Hibist. Tella and Tej accompany the festivities, followed by the cherished Ethiopian coffee ceremony, with popcorn and fragrant incense filling the air.
☕️A time for cleansing and renewal
The final days of the Ethiopian year, Pagumene, are traditionally a time to clean homes, let go of old belongings, renew our surroundings, and prepare for a fresh beginning.
Garden cress (ፌጦ) is traditionally used in cleansing rituals, while September 8—St. Raphael’s Day—is associated with spiritual renewal, prayer, confession, and holy water.
It is a beautiful reminder that a new year is not simply about turning a page on the calendar—it is about clearing away the old, giving thanks for what has been, and making room for what is to come.
🔥 And then comes the fire…
As evening falls, families and communities gather around bonfires. Traditional songs such as Enkutatash and Abebayehush fill the night with music and joy.
As the flames begin to die down, people traditionally leap across the fire three times—a symbolic crossing from the old year into the new.
❤️ A new year. A new beginning. A renewed heart.
Ethiopian New Year is ultimately a celebration of family, community, generosity, faith, culture, and hope.
It is a time to forgive, to avoid conflict, to share with others, and to remember those who are less fortunate. Feeding and supporting people in need is an important expression of the spirit of the holiday.
Wherever you are in the world, may the spirit of Ethiopia’s New Year bring you closer to your family, your heritage, and the people you love.
🌼🇪🇹 Melkam Addis Amet!
Happy Ethiopian New Year 2019!
መልካም አዲስ ዓመት ፳፻፲፱!
May this New Year bring peace to your home, health to your family, prosperity to your life, and endless reasons to be grateful.
May the year ahead be filled with joy, love, success, blessings, and beautiful new beginnings.
Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, prosperous, peaceful, and truly blessed Ethiopian New Year! 🇪🇹❤️🌼
Melkam Addis Amet! — መልካም አዲስ ዓመት!
#2019
