Ethiopia Africa

Ethiopia Holidays and Events 2026 to 2027

By Samuel Ncube · October 29, 2026 · 7 min read

Black-and-white view over a large crowd of worshippers in white shawls at a Timkat celebration in Ethiopia, seen from behind a standing man — Photo: Eyasusetegn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

ETHIOPIA · HOLIDAY GUIDE

Key Facts

—Next dates Memorial day Wednesday, 9 December; Christmas Thursday, 7 January 2027; Epiphany Tuesday, 19 January 2027.
—Closures Christmas and Epiphany are closed days; 9 December is a memorial day when offices stay open.
—Advisory The US State Department rates Ethiopia Level 3, Reconsider Travel, in its advisory of 27 August 2026.
—Flights Ethiopian Airlines said direct Atlanta to Addis Ababa service restarts 21 May 2026; January days unpublished.
—Visa The Ethiopian embassy in Washington lists US$60 single-entry and US$150 multiple-entry tourist visas.

Ethiopia keeps its own church calendar, so its big holidays fall in January, not December. Here is every date from now to Timkat, with what is open and how Americans can get there.

In Plain English

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church: Ethiopia’s largest Christian church, which sets the dates of Genna and Timkat.
Genna: Ethiopian Christmas, a church holiday that ends a long fast.
Timkat: Epiphany, the festival that marks the baptism of Jesus with processions and blessed water.
Meskel: the autumn festival of the finding of the True Cross, held in late September.
Tabot: a replica of the tablets of the law that each church carries in procession at Timkat.

Ethiopia’s next big holidays are Christmas on Thursday, 7 January 2027, and Epiphany on Tuesday, 19 January 2027. A memorial day falls first, on Wednesday, 9 December, and Meskel already passed on Sunday, 27 September 2026.

Ethiopia uses its own calendar, which numbers years seven to eight years behind the Gregorian one used in the US. Its Christmas follows the older Julian dating, so it falls on 7 January.

The Dates at a Glance

Ethiopia’s federal holiday law, Proclamation No. 1334 of 2024, dated 14 August 2024, fixes the national list. It sorts days into closed holidays and memorial days, and no holiday falls in November.

Sunday, 22 November 2026: Great Ethiopian Run, a mass 10 km road race in Addis Ababa (date set by the organiser).
Tuesday, 24 November 2026: the Advent fast of about six weeks begins on 15 Hidar, a church-calendar date, and ends on 6 January.
Wednesday, 9 December 2026: Ethiopian National Unity Day, also called Nations and Nationalities Day, a memorial day with offices open.
Thursday, 7 January 2027: Genna, Ethiopian Christmas, a closed public holiday.
Tuesday, 19 January 2027: Timkat, Epiphany, a closed public holiday.

Ethiopia is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time all year and has no daylight saving. From Sunday, 1 November 2026, Ethiopia is eight hours ahead of New York.

Meskel Has Passed, Genna and Timkat Come Next

Meskel is the festival of the True Cross, and the 2026 holiday fell on Sunday, 27 September. The law fixes it on 27 September, so the next one comes in September 2027, outside this guide.

Genna, Ethiopian Christmas, falls on Thursday, 7 January 2027, and the law lists it as a closed religious holiday. The law fixes the date at 7 January, so the holiday follows New Year’s Day by a week.

Timkat, Epiphany, falls on Tuesday, 19 January 2027, and the law lists it as a closed holiday as well. Churches customarily carry the Tabot in procession on the eve, which is Monday, 18 January 2027.

Each festival has its own Rio Times guide, with sights, safety and costs in detail. Read the guides to Ethiopian Christmas 2027 and Timkat 2027 in Addis Ababa before you book.

What Is Open and Closed

On a closed holiday such as Genna and Timkat, government offices and most institutions shut. Plan cash, visas and errands before Wednesday, 6 January 2027, because the next days are quiet.

On 9 December the law calls the day a memorial, so institutions stay open. The House of Federation, the upper chamber of parliament, coordinates the programme.

The law calls the day Ethiopian National Unity Day, and a later article names it Ethiopian Nations and Nationalities Day. Officials have said it is marked on 8 or 9 December, so plan for both days.

The law does not give dates for Good Friday, Easter or the Muslim holidays, because they move each year. None of them falls between now and Timkat.

Skyline of Addis Ababa with tower blocks and cranes under clouds, hills behind and trees in the foreground — The skyline of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, photographed in August 2012. Most US visitors to the holidays would base themselves here. Photo: Simfan34 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Fasting and the Holiday Table

Many Orthodox Christians eat no meat or dairy on fasting days, so restaurants serve vegan dishes through the Advent fast. Genna ends the fast with a feast on Thursday, 7 January 2027.

A church-run website gives the start as Tuesday, 24 November 2026, and the end as Wednesday, 6 January 2027. Ask your hotel or a local guide before you plan a meal around those dates.

Events Before the Holidays

The Great Ethiopian Run, a 10 km road race in Addis Ababa, is set for Sunday, 22 November 2026, with 60,000 places. Check its registration page for the fee and rules before you book.

A separate Rio Times guide covers the race, with the same visa and safety picture. The Addis Ababa city page and the October guide to the capital list other things to do.

Getting to Ethiopia From the US

Ethiopian Airlines, the national carrier, said on 17 March 2026 that direct Atlanta flights restart on 21 May, after a February pause. The release gives no weekly days and does not say the flights are nonstop.

The airline’s US booking page lists 15 departure cities, including Washington, New York, Newark, Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles. A sample economy fare from Los Angeles for 23 December 2026 to 11 January 2027 started at US$2,183 round trip.

Book early for the holiday weeks, because fares move daily. Allow a day to recover, because Ethiopia is eight hours ahead of New York in winter.

Visa, Safety and Costs

Americans need a visa. The Ethiopian embassy in Washington lists tourist fees of US$60 for a single entry and US$150 for multiple entries.

The embassy says processing takes one to three working days, and your passport must be valid for six months. It accepts only a money order, not cash, cards or personal checks.

E-visa applications go through the Ethiopian Immigration and Citizenship Service, and the embassy page lists no e-visa fee. Confirm the fee on that service’s portal before you pay anyone.

The US State Department rates Ethiopia Level 3, Reconsider Travel, in an advisory dated 27 August 2026. It cites unrest, crime, kidnapping, terrorism, landmines, communications disruptions and exit bans.

Level 4, Do Not Travel, covers Tigray, Amhara, Gambella, Benishangul Gumuz and parts of Afar. Oromia is also Level 4, except Bishoftu and Bale Mountains National Park.

It also lists parts of the Central, South, Southwest and Somali regions, plus 50 km strips along four borders. It says the security situation in Addis Ababa is stable but may worsen suddenly.

Petty crime is common in tourist spots, violent crime is more common after dark, and medical services are limited. Internet, mobile data and phone services are often restricted around unrest, which can delay embassy help.

The US embassy’s alert of 20 October 2026 says fighting has eased in Tigray and Afar but things may change anytime. It repeats the Do Not Travel warning for Amhara, including Lalibela, Tigray and Afar, and says Axum and Shire flights remain suspended.

The State Department also warns that breaking Ethiopian immigration law, even by mistake, can bring deportation, fines, prison or an exit ban. Enroll in its Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a free embassy alert service, before you go, and check that your insurer covers Ethiopia.

Where Americans Can Go

Lalibela, a town of rock-hewn churches famed for Genna, and Gondar, a former imperial capital, both lie in Amhara. That region is Level 4 and the embassy names Lalibela in its warning, so Addis Ababa is the realistic base.

Even in the capital, services can be cut around unrest, and the embassy says this can delay consular help. Keep copies of your passport and visa and leave the originals in the hotel safe.

What It Means for You

To see Genna or Timkat, plan for Addis Ababa and reread the State Department advisory and embassy alerts before you pay. Book flights early and confirm visa fees and processing times.

If you only want to follow from home, mark Thursday, 7 January 2027 and Tuesday, 19 January 2027. Ethiopia is eight hours ahead, and government offices there shut on both days.

What Is Not Known

The church has not published programmes, procession routes or road closures for Genna or Timkat 2027. Whether the government’s Unity Day events fall on 8 or 9 December is also unconfirmed.

The race fee, the e-visa fee and any January flight days from Atlanta are unconfirmed. The airline’s release does not say whether the Atlanta flights are nonstop.

The text of Proclamation No. 1334 was read on a legal-text mirror, not in the Federal Negarit Gazette, the official gazette. No hotel prices for the holiday nights have been published.

Related Coverage

Read the Rio Times Ethiopian Christmas 2027 guide and the Timkat 2027 guide for Addis Ababa. The Ethiopia news hub and the Ethiopia Explained 2026 pillar cover the wider country.

Plan the capital with the Addis Ababa city page and the guide to what to do in Addis Ababa. Runners can read about the Great Ethiopian Run on 22 November, and the new Ethiopian cabinet explains who governs.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Ethiopian Christmas in 2027?

Ethiopian Christmas, called Genna, falls on Thursday, 7 January 2027. It is a closed public holiday under Ethiopia’s holiday law.

When is Timkat in 2027?

Timkat, Ethiopian Epiphany, falls on Tuesday, 19 January 2027. The eve, when churches customarily carry the Tabot in procession, is Monday, 18 January 2027.

Is Ethiopia safe for Americans during the holidays?

The US State Department rates Ethiopia Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and lists many regions at Level 4, including Amhara, home to Lalibela. It calls the security situation in Addis Ababa stable.

Do Americans need a visa for Ethiopia?

Yes, Americans need a visa. The Ethiopian embassy in Washington lists US$60 single-entry and US$150 multiple-entry tourist visas, but no e-visa fee.

Sources: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Proclamation No. 1334/2024 to Determine Public Holidays, signed 14 August 2024; US State Department, Ethiopia Travel Advisory, as published by the US Embassy in Ethiopia (27 August 2026); US Embassy Addis Ababa security alert (20 October 2026); Embassy of Ethiopia in Washington, visa service; Ethiopian Airlines press release, 17 March 2026; Mahibere Kidusan, a church fellowship, Fast of the Prophets page; Great Ethiopian Run organisers (all accessed 29 October 2026)

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief

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