Every year on September 11, Ethiopians celebrate their New Year. The holiday is called “Enkutatash,” which literary means the “gift of jewels.” This naming came from the legendary visit of the Ethiopian Queen Sheba to that of King Solomon of Jerusalem back in 98 BC. During her visit, this famous queen of Ethiopia brought the king a collection of “jewels.” Upon her return home, the queen was restocked with a new supply of “enku” (jewels) for her treasury.
Ethiopians called the New Year “Enkutatash” because the period the queen arrived back to Ethiopia coincided with the New Year’s celebration in September. Celebrating the New Year in September, however, is originally connected to the Bible as it is the period that God created the Heavens and the Earth and so this period should be the beginning of a New Year.
In Ethiopia, the month of September is called Meskerem. It is a month Ethiopians say goodbye to the three months rainy and thunderous winter and look forward to the pleasant spring weather. It is a month that everyone will be filled with a new spirit of hope for the New Year.
Sourced from https://addisjemari.org/enkutatash-ethiopian-new-year/
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