We have set our Autumn course programme for Amharic classes, after lots of interest from potential students. We are very excited to announce the details. The lessons will last for 90 minutes (1.5 hours) and will be on Wednesdays at 6:30pm in central London. We are running nine Amharic lessons, from 22 October to 17 December.
These language lessons are aimed at beginners and our experienced tutor expects you will make a lot of progress in Amharic language by the end of the course. We offer our own tailor-made course materials.
We can only take a few students, so please contact us to register your interest for the Amharic lessons as soon as possible.
Happy New Year 2007, or “enkutatash” to all those who are celebrating the #EthiopianNewYear on 11 September.
Ethiopia works to a different calendar to the Gregorian calendar followed in much of Europe, America and other countries. It is called the “Ethiopian calendar” (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ዘመን አቆጣጠር?; yä’Ityoṗṗya zämän aḳoṭaṭär) and is based on the older Alexandrian or Coptic calendar. It has 12 months of 30 days plus one month of five days, or six days in a Leap Year.
Enkutatash
The Gregorian calendar was introduced to Europe by Pope Gregory III in 1582, and is a refinement of the Julian calendar which was introduced by Julius Caesar and took effect in 45 BC. The Ethiopian authorities preferred to stick with the Coptic Christian version.
The Ethiopian calendar is seven to eight years different from the Gregorian calendar as the different church authorities have different dates for the Annunciation of Jesus. Thus 11 September 2014 in the Gregorian calendar is New Year 2007 for Ethiopians.
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