Why Ethiopia Is “Still in 2018” Ethiopia follows its own calendar system, which is different from the widely used Gregorian calendar. The Ethiopian calendar is about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar, which is why the country is currently in 2018. The calendar has 13 months — 12 months with 30 days each and a 13th month called Pagume, which has five or six days depending on the year. Ethiopia also celebrates New Year, known as Enkutatash, in September. This difference does not m