BuaNews (Tshwane)
Themba Gadebe
11 September 2007
Addis Ababa — The countdown in anticipation for the new millennium in Ethiopia has started with celebrations planned for Tuesday night to end the Coptic Calendar's September 1999 in grand style.
The Ethiopian, or Coptic Calendar, has retained an ancient African system of measuring time, where the year is divided into 13 months, with the last month merely consisting of five days or six in a leap year.
This ancient calendar, traced back from the early Egyptian astronomic calculations, falls seven years behind the Gregorian (Western) calendar, making non Ethiopian visitors seven years younger.
In 1582, the continent shifted to the Gregorian calendar which is still used in the Western world, and now sets most of us in the year 2007.
A spectacular opening ceremony in the capital, Addis Ababa will take place simultaneously with nation wide celebrations in other country's regions - heralding a start of year-long festivities that will highlight the strength and beauty of "free and equal" Ethiopians.
The millennium celebrations will kick off on Wednesday, 12 September 2007 extending up to 11 September 2008.
This is however, not only important to native Ethiopians but to all of African origin.
The millennium has been declared "an African occasion" by the 8th Regular Summit of the African Union.
The North Eastern African state will also unveil a week long celebrations focusing on Africa's commendable history of decolonisation.
The week will also be dedicated to celebrating the Ethiopians pride and pleasure of continuing to host the head-quarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi said early this year during the African Union's 8th Summit of Heads of State and Government that the millennium festival was not only confined to Ethiopians but to all Africans.
"It is therefore natural to see our African brothers who had some seven years ago celebrated the European Millennium with the rest of the world embrace our millennium as their own," he said.
Leaders and representatives of various countries, including the President of the Transitional Government of Somali Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed have arrived on Tuesday in Addis to take part in the millennium celebrations.
Presidents and prime ministers from several countries are still expected to arrive for the millennium celebrations.
This unique celebration is also expected to attract hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians from the diaspora, foreigners of Ethiopian descent and tourists worldwide.
For ordinary Ethiopians this is not merely an occasion to drink and be merry but a signal of hope for a better life.
The overall theme of the Millennium Festival, "On the move to a prosperous Ethiopia by establishing a politically strong and economically dynamic society", seeks to embrace the optimism of Ethiopians as they enter the new millennium.
The Ethiopian Millennium Festival National Council and its Executive Council as well as the Secretariat, tasked with delivering the third millennium, have adopted a two-pronged approach to ensure that the nation makes best use of the millennium opportunity.
The approached includes a National Programme and a social legacy.
The National Programme is set to give everyone in Ethiopia an opportunity to participate in projects that will make a lasting difference to their society.
This involves participating in wide range projects that encourage creativity, innovation and renewing the sense of community.
The social legacy focuses on issues of education, the environment, arts, sport and heritage.
This is the hope highlighted by many Ethiopians such as Aregu Balleh who spoke to BuaNews early this year.
"For us here, it's a symbol of hope and great things to come. We do not have fears, what so ever," Mr Balleh said at the time.
Ethiopians celebrated their Christmas on 7 January this year.
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