In September 2007, as fireworks lit up the sky above Addis Ababa, revellers gathered in the streets for a huge cultural festival. People from all over Ethiopia and many Ethiopian who had emigrated abroad flocked to the capital, as Ethiopia ushers in the new Millennium - Seven years after much of the world marked the beginning of the 21st century, Ethiopia is finally approaching the year 2000, thanks to a unique and ancient system of measuring time. A variation on the archaic Julian calendar -- which started disappearing from the West in the 16th century -- means Ethiopia did not enter the year 2000 until September 1, 2007. In the 16th Century, as the rest of Christendom revised its estimate of the date of the birth of Christ - Ethiopia stuck with the old date, which means it was stuck more than seven years behind the rest of the world. Ethiopia is known for its colorful ancient history and rich heritage. And because it was never colonized, Ethiopia has always had a special significance for the rest of Africa.