CNN —
On September 11, Ethiopians will celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another.
However, when the East African country rings in its New Year in a few months, it will technically be 2017, according to the Ethiopian calendar.
So why is Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country, seven years and eight months “behind” much of the rest of the world? And how does that work for Ethiopians living on an increasingly interconnected planet that mostly operates in an entirely different era?
The answers lie in traditions that date back centuries – and a firm sense of national identity.