One country in the world is 7 years behind others — and has a time based on different calendar

Social media users are surprised and "creeped out" after learning that Ethiopia is almost seven years behind the rest of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has made everyone realize that the happenings of the world cannot be predicted. However, we still try to maintain some form and structure to allow ourselves to work and live coherently. The majority of the world follows this same calendar and time-zone structure but that is not the case in Ethiopia, TikTok user @The1Kevine explains. She said in a video, "Ethiopia is behind like seven years. They have their own calendar, they have their own date."

She explains her discovery as 'mad weird,' and this video also shocked several social media users as the video gathered over 1.8 million views, per Lad Bible. According to BBC News, this is because, in the Ethiopian calendar, the year lasts for 13 months.

This is due to the fact that it estimates Jesus Christ's birth year differently. Around 1500 or so years back, in 500 AD, the Catholic Church decided to amend the calculation of the birth of Jesus Christ by setting it back. But, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church did not change its calculation when the Catholic Church did.

Ethiopians celebrate the start of a new year on September 11th, or September 12th if it is a leap year. Except for the 13th month, Pagume, which has either five or six days depending on whether it is a leap year, the rest of the months in Ethiopia have 30 days.

Time is also measured differently, with the day divided into two 12-hour slots beginning at 06:00, making midday and midnight both six o'clock in Ethiopian time. So, Ethiopians celebrated the millennium's turn on September 11, 2007. It also means that, while the country has several official holidays that are well-known across the world, they are frequently observed on different days due to the differing calendar.

Twitter users are extremely surprised by this fact that was unknown to the majority of the world. A user commented, "I can’t believe Ethiopia is in 2014 .. bro we’ve been lied to this whole time." Another said, "I thought I should remind you that Ethiopia is approximately 7 years behind the rest of us. Today's date in Ethiopia is Monday 27th July, 2014. So if there's something u wish u did in 2014, u can go to Ethiopia, do it and go back to your country.(2022)."