Why is the Ethiopian calendar 7 years behind?

The Ethiopian calendar is 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar because it is based on the ancient Coptic calendar, which uses a different method for calculating the date of the Annunciation (the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and bear the Son of God). According to the Coptic calendar, the Annunciation occurred 5,500 years after the creation of the world, but the Gregorian calendar thinks it occurred 4,000 years after the creation of the world. Because of this 1,500-year gap, the Ethiopian calendar is 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar.

Because it is based on the ancient Coptic calendar, which uses a different method for calculating the date of the Annunciation (the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and bear the Son of God), the Ethiopian calendar is 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar. According to the Coptic calendar, the Annunciation occurred 5,500 years after the creation of the world, but the Gregorian calendar thinks it occurred 4,000 years after the creation of the world. Because of this 1,500-year gap, the Ethiopian calendar is 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar.

As a result of these differences, the Ethiopian calendar is 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar. However, it is important to note that the Ethiopian calendar is still widely used in Ethiopia, and it is the official calendar of the country.