Vocabulary
- abide by /uh-BAHYD bahy/
- leap year /leep yeer/
- behind /bih-HAHYND/
- Gregorian calendar /gri-GAWR-ee-uhn KAL-uhn-der/
- interchangeably /in-ter-CHEYN-juh-blee/
[phrasal verb] – to follow, comply with, or adhere to a rule, law, or guideline
All employees must abide by the company’s safety regulations.
[noun] – a year that happens every four years and has an extra day on 29 February
Use the extra day that comes with this leap year to organize some outings.
[adverb] – slower or later than someone else, or than you should be
She was already a month behind with the rent.
[noun] – the system used in many parts of the world to divide the 365 days of the year into weeks and months, and to number the years
Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582.
[adverb] – in a way that can be exchanged without making any difference or without being noticed
Although these phrases are frequently used interchangeably, they actually have separate meanings.
Article reading
The 12 months of the Ethiopian calendar have 30 days each, while Pagume, the final month, has five days on average and six on leap years. The name derives from the Greek term epagomene, which means “days forgotten when a year is calculated.” In the Ethiopian calendar, one year has 365 days, six hours, two minutes, and 24 seconds. Six hours sum up to 24 hours once every four years, which is the sixth day of a leap year. Every 600 years, two minutes and 24 seconds sum up to a full day. The Ethiopians refer to this seventh day as rena mealt and rena lelit. Given that 2014 began in September of last year, this means they are seven to eight years behind the rest of us. As a result, Ethiopians celebrate the start of a new year on September 11 or September 12 if it’s a leap year. Due to its unique calendar, the nation also observes a greater number of public holidays than other nations throughout the world.
The Gregorian calendar is generally known in Ethiopia, and some people even use both calendars interchangeably. Nevertheless, modern-day Ethiopia continues to use the traditional calendar. If you’re traveling to Ethiopia, be sure to check the dates!
Discussion Questions
- What is the busiest month for you? Please share why.
- Does your country have a traditional calendar? If so, please tell me more about it. If not, what kind of calendar system would you like to have?
- If you were to travel to Ethiopia, which month would you choose and why?
- Should Ethiopians stop using their old calendar system?
- Does following a specific calendar system affect people’s daily lives? Why or why not?
Summarization
Describe
- guideline
- derive
- calculate
- observe
- generally