Holidays Around The World � DR Congo Holidays

International Women’s Day Celebrated Around the World

Noel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:00:20 +0000

International Women’s Day: March 8

International Women’s Day is a public holiday in several countries worldwide.

Generally observed worldwide, International Women’s Day offers people the opportunity to highlight challenges that women face around the world and signs of hope for the work done to promote women. While some cultures have removed the political nature of it and use it as a day to show love to women, others have retained the strong political themes, promoting human rights for women around the world. The day is typically not considered a public holiday, but is given prominence in many parts of the world.

History of International Women’s Day

March 8, 1857 marks when women in New York protested, demanding better working conditions and better wages. The protesters were dispersed by the police, and two years later, the women created their own labor union. More protests were held in following years on the same date of March 8. In 1910, Copenhagen hosted the first international women’s conference, and an International Women’s Day was instituted, though no date was officially set.

On the eve of World War I, women from all over Europe came together in peaceful protests on March 8, 1913. March 8 entered the calendars as International Women’s Day first in the former USSR as a celebration of heroic and patriotic Soviet women that participated in the communistic construction of the USSR and defense of the Motherland. Since then, the date has found its way in the calendars of countries all over the world.

International Women’s Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

In countries like Albania, Italy, and Russia, yellow mimosas and chocolates are common gifts given to women on International Women’s Day. Many other Eastern European countries also have flower-giving customs. In Poland, feminist demonstrations are held in many major cities. In Benin and many other African countries, the day is used to highlight the public health, human rights, and socioeconomic problems that women have to struggle with. Armenia has combined the day with its own Beauty and Motherhood Day on April 7 to make a month-long celebration of women between the two days.

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The Republic of Congo Celebrates President Day

Noel — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:54:01 +0000

President Day: February 5

President Day is observed as a public national holiday in Congo Republic

The Democratic Republic of Congo or sometimes known as Congo Brazzaville celebrates February 5 as a yearly commemoration of President’s Day.

History of President’s Day

The President is considered as the highest ruling power of the Republic of Congo and has long been implemented since the Fundamental Law of 1960 which was the country’s first constitution. The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo holds several powers and capabilities; however it has been constantly varied over the years. In the past, the country has been ruled over with a shared power of a prime minister and the executive branch. Now it is under the sole dictatorship of the President of the State in which the president has the power to choose the prime minister.

This kind of constitution that Congo is implementing is based actually from the French structure. According to their 2006 constitution, the elected president should take the seat as the highest official of the country for a five-year term and renewable only once. And under the Democratic Republic of Congo, the election process must use a two-round system of voting which means that the elected president should always have the majority of the votes.

President’s Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

The celebration of the country’s President’s day is a nation-wide event where people of the nation gather together to hold special parades and activities dedicated to their head of state. It is also a perfect time for the people, especially the young generations to learn and appreciate the most vital lessons about the nation’s history, the president and its government.

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo Remembers Patrice Lumumba

Noel — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:00:36 +0000

Heroes’ Day (Patrice Lumumba): January 17

Heroes’ Day is a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In the night hours of January 17, 1961, Patrice Lumumba was assassinated, sending the country (then known as the Republic of the Congo) into turmoil. The reason for his assassination is filled with political intrigue and cold war propaganda, but Lumumba is today honored as a national hero. The government sets aside one of two Heroes’ Days each year to remember Lumumba for his fight to bring “human dignity” to the county.

History of Heroes’ Day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Patrice Lumumba started out working in the Congolese press, editing and contributing to journals and pamphlets for the Liberal Party of Belgium. He found legal trouble when it was revealed that he had embezzled funds from the post office he worked. He serves a year in jail and immediately jumped into politics again upon release.

He helped found the pro-independence Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) in 1958 and eventually became president of the party, one that espoused strong nationalism and anti-colonial sentiment. That same year, Lumumba and other representatives of the MNC attended the All-African People’s Conference, an international conference that put Lumumba’s desire for a free and independent Congo into focus.

Lumumba, however, was making enemies quickly, and he was arrested again in October of 1959 with claims that he had sought to incite anti-colonial riots in the capital. Likely not a coincidence, Lumumba’s trial was scheduled to start the same day that a Congolese independence conference was being held in Brussels. After great effort by Lumumba’s supporters, he was released and allowed to attend the conference, one that set an independence date of June 30, 1960.

Elections were held beforehand, and the MNC won. Lumumba was made the prime minister, and Joseph Kasa-Vubu was made president. On Independence Day, Lumumba trumped Kasa-Vubu’s pedestrian pro-colonial speech with one that denounced colonialism and the atrocities committed on the citizens of the country. This famous speech had serious repercussions for Lumumba, who afterwards was internationally viewed as a threat to long-term economic productivity and trade.

Only a few days into the new government, rebellion broke out around the country, encouraged by a military that quickly dissolved into infighting and looting. Things quickly became grim, and Lumumba made the rash decision to petition the Soviet army for aid in quelling the violence. This somewhat unorthodox approach concerned ranking officials in the government and led outsiders to wonder if Lumumba was a communist.

A series of political battles occurred between Lumumba and Kasa-Vuvu, ending in the arrest of both during a coup led by Colonel Joseph Mobutu. Lumumba escaped but was captured again on December 1, 1960. The United Nations tried to deal with the explosive situation, but the situation became worse when numerous countries pulled their U.N. contingents out of the country.

What happened exactly to Lumumba in the days leading up to his assassination on January 17, 1961 isn’t known. After his death, theories of all varieties were formed about who was involved with his assassination. Declassified U.S. documents have since shown that the U.S. had strong interest in offing him, with numerous hints that his anti-colonial leanings would have been detrimental to lucrative resource trading in the region. Other direct links have since been made to Belgium. Belgian officials offered an apology to the Congolese people in 2002, admitting “an irrefutable portion of responsibility” in the events that led up to his death.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Heroes’ Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

Heroes’ Day is divided into two days in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; January 16 is dedicated to honoring Joseph Kabila and January 17 to Patrice Lumumba.

Today, people pay their respects to Patrice Lumumba, a man who once said “I am a revolutionary and demand the abolition of the colonial regime, which ignored our human dignity.” Lumumba’s sons try to carry their father’s legacy today, participating in politics to bring true democracy to the people of the country.

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo Remembers Laurent Kabila

Noel — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:00:20 +0000

Heroes’ Day (Laurent Kabila): January 16

Heroes’ Day is a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On May 17, 1997, Laurent Kabila took control of the country formerly known as Zaire, suspending the constitution and renaming the country to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Having overthrown the previous dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko, some heralded Kabila as a much-needed change for the country. But other people concluded that Kabila was no better than Mobutu, assassinating Kabila in 2001. Today, the government sets aside one of two Heroes’ Days to remember Kabila.

History of Heroes’ Day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mobutu Sese Seko ruled Zaire with the strong belief that nationalism was of the utmost importance. Upon taking the reigns of leadership, Mobutu set about doing all he could to remove any colonial influences and cultural infiltrations.

He set up a one-party system and worked with Western agencies to bring aid to Zaire. However, most suspected that Mobutu was not only skimming off the top of aid packages, but also was deeply involved with efforts of economic exploitation of the country’s resources. As debt and inflation took over in the 1980s, unrest grew. Eventually, he was expelled by rebel forces led by Laurent Kabila.

Many saw Kabila as a refreshing change after nearly 32 years of Mobutu’s dictatorial rule. Kabila, a former Marxist, changed the name from Zaire to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and shortly afterwards assigned all military, executive, and legislative power to himself, pending a new constitution. But his allies in Rwanda and Uganda soon turned against him and formed the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD), believing that Kabila wasn’t dedicated to bringing true democracy to the country.

Kabila had promised new elections by 1999, but no elections were held. Charges of corruption were made and armed clashes took place between the RCD and Kabila’s military. A tentative peace deal was brokered in July 1999, but it did little to quell tensions in the country. The RCD rebellion grew larger, finally leading to the assassination of Kabila on January 16, 2001 by one of his bodyguards, Rashidi Kasereka.

After Kabila’s assassination, his son, Joseph, took control of the country. Joseph Kabila had a statue of his father erected in the capital, Kinshasa, and Heroes’ Day organized to honor Kabila.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Heroes’ Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

Heroes’ Day is divided into two days in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; January 16 is dedicated to honoring Joseph Kabila and January 17 to Patrice Lumumba.

The people of the Democratic Republic have mixed feelings about Joseph Kabila and honoring him as a hero. While many were hopeful that Kabila would bring much-needed democratic change to the country, others were cynical, viewing Kabila as doing no better than the previous dictator, Mobutu.

The New York Times captured this dichotomy shortly after Kabila’s assassination.

Gilbert Sibenda told the New York Times on January 21, 2001: ”A man can’t be perfect. There are some good parts and some bad parts. I think he tried to improve people’s lives. But he was too stubborn to accept anybody else’s opinion. If he wanted to punish people, he simply had them killed.”

Today, many of the country’s citizens still honor Kabila as a hero on Heroes’ Day while others scoff at the idea of Kabila being a hero.

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New Year

Noel — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:41:57 +0000

New Year Date: January 01

New Year Day is celebrated worldwide.

New Year is an extravagantly celebrated festival in all the cultures in the world. Each culture celebrates New Year according to their calendar. Countries which follow the Gregorian calendar celebrate New Year on January 1st every year which is considered the most festive day amongst all the other days of the year.

New Year History

During the Roman period the New Year was celebrated on the first day of March. Later in 47 BC, Julius Caesar made changes in the calendar and named it the Julian calendar. Marco Antonio and Augustus Caesar later modified the calendar in 44 BC and 8 BC respectively. Finally in the late 1582, Pope Gregory XIII modified the calendar to the form of the one that we all use these days.

January 1st is the first day in this calendar and is celebrated with great significance to it. The expansion of the Western culture all over the world then made January 1 a universally celebrated festival. The New Year which is celebrated worldwide is celebrated with huge fireworks and balloons etc. People wish each other for a very healthy and a prosperous year ahead.

Previously, in Jewish tradition, honey is used to represent a sweet New Year ahead, Rosh Hashana (New Year celebrations in the Jewish tradition). As the traditional meal for that holiday, apple slices are dipped in honey and eaten after a prayer and with blessings recited for a good, prosperous and sweet new year. Some Rosh Hashana greetings show an apple and honey, symbolizing the feast. In some other Jewish communities, small straws of honey are given out to usher in the New Year. The New Year feast which is always followed by the Christmas celebrations, the last week of the year is considered as a week of enjoyment and celebration in the winter season.

Many countries celebrate the New Year in a very grand way. This celebration usually consists of fireworks display and other parades and festivities. For example, London has a major fireworks display along the River Thames, followed by a parade on New Year’s Day. Once, Sydney which had more than half a million people present to witness the celebrations of New Year launched more than 80,000 fireworks at midnight. It was the highest watched celebration on tele-vision worldwide. In Valparaiso more than two million visitors witnessed the huge fireworks in a natural setting. A total of more than 21 kilometers of fireworks were set up on the bay, starting from the commercial port city of Valparaiso to Concon, Chile. These all were set up for 25 minutes of entertainment.

New Year Traditions and Activities

Usually in New York, the celebration is focused around a large crystal ball that slowly descends in a ten second countdown in Times Square, and last year was also the party with the largest number of attendees with more than three million people witnessing the New Year celebrations. Edinburgh plays host to one of the world’s largest Hogmanay (meaning ‘the last day of the year’) events. Celebration here lasts for four days and visitors from all around the globe are attracted to take part in the street parties and festivities, and attend the concerts which take place during midnight.

Important Facts about New Year

New Year is the only festival which is celebrated worldwide. Even though there is no special history behind the festival, all people around the world look forward for this celebration. New Year is a festival in which something innovative and better is done each and every year.

New Years Day is also known as:

New Year Celebrations
New Year Holidays

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Democratic Republic of the Congo Celebrates Parents Day

Noel — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 05:01:00 +0000

Parents Day: August 1

Parents Day is a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Parents Day is celebrated all over the world. In the same way Parents Day is also celebrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Sometimes it is referenced as DR Congo.) The day is basically dedicated to the parents. In our fast moving life, this one day makes us relax and think of those people, who give us birth and brings us up to face this challenging world.

History of Parents Day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Parents Day is celebrated on August 1 every year. This day is dedicated to the parents throughout the country. The history of the country does not suggest practice of any such day in the country, but in reality, there is a day called Parents Day. It is also a public holiday for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The history of the country shows that only hunters and gathers used to reside in the country. The civilizations were settled after the migrations of various tribes. These tribes used to settle along the river sides or near the edges of the forests. But then gradually, many kingdoms and rulers were established.

In 1884-85, a king named Leopold claimed his power in the Berlin discussion, and thus recognized the country (formerly known as Zaire) as a free Congo state in front of the Europeans. After that, he found that he was not sufficiently funded to develop the state and thus had to ask support. That led the country to go under the hands of Belgians. Gradually, with many revolts, the country got independence, but the conflict after that lead the U.N. to get involved and solve the matter. Thus, gradually the conflict ended and people finally were freed from any undesirable pressure.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Parents Day Traditions and Activities

Thus, Parent’s Day being celebrated in such a country does sound a bit awkward, but it is a reality. Parents Day is celebrated here with equal emphasis and enthusiasm like in any other country or any other part of the world.

Parents are not only the person who gave you birth and brought you up. They are those, who laid the building blocks of your life. Nobody can deny the fact that whatever we are today and whatever we will be tomorrow is all because of our parents. Thus, a day to them is nothing in return of what they give us. The Parents Day is celebrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on a huge scale.

Cards with beautiful quotes and pleasing lines to reflect the feelings and respect towards the parents, wonderful gifts that makes them feel special, and an atmosphere, which makes them realize that they are not taken for granted and always respected loved and cared. Parents Day has huge importance and thus, the people get a public holiday on this great day.

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo Remembers Its Independence

Noel — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:00:55 +0000

Independence Day: June 30

Independence Day is a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Independence Day is celebrated on June 30 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). On June 30, 1960, DR Congo became independent, yet the people still struggle for full freedom today in an environment full of armed conflict.

History of Independence Day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In 1885, King Leopold II of Belgium acquired the rights for the territory of Congo and made the territory his own property. Over several decades, Leopold exploited the local population to make profits from local resources, particularly rubber. Roughly 10 million Congolese died as a result of exploitation and disease, prompting the international community to protest and condemn. Under international pressure, the Belgian government reluctantly took control of the territory from Leopold and ran it as an official colony of Belgium beginning in 1908.

Strong international pressure again fell on the Belgium government in the 1950s to reform its policy on the colony of Congo, especially with details of how the colony would transition to a self-governing state. At the same time, pseudo-political parties started sprouting up across Congo, all with the intention of promoting a free and independent Congo.

One of the most successful groups was Association des Bakongo (ABAKO), a cultural and political organization led by Joseph Kasa-Vubu. ABAKO lead the charge for calls of independence from Belgium. ABAKO wasn’t alone, however. Other organizations representing different ethnic groups as well as alumni groups and urban associations joined in the calls for independence.

In January of 1959, the Belgian government eventually prohibited ABAKO from meeting with concerns that the group was becoming dangerously powerful, contributing more instability to the region. Mass riots soon broke out in the city of Léopoldville, and Kasa-Vubu was arrested on January 12. Afterwards, Belgium announced intentions for constitutional reform within the colony. The intentions failed and further instability occurred in the region, prompting a Roundtable Conference in Brussels in early 1960.

During the conference, Belgium tried to push the idea of a three- to four-year transition, but the Congolese wanted nothing to do with that, only conceding a few months of transition. With a June 30 date set, there was recognition that elections would have to be held in May in order to have some sort of governmental infrastructure in place by the end of June. Joseph Kasa-Vubu was chosen to be president, and as planned, the region became officially independent on June 30, 1960.

A long history of armed conflict has since followed, still leaving many people hungry for not only for ethnic independence, but also basic human freedoms.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Independence Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

In recent years, the number of people participating in Independence Day celebrations has significantly decreased. With widespread disease and famine, huge populations of people are still dying off in the DR Congo. Civil unrest, anti-social behavior, and long wars have left deep scars on the people of the DR Congo, leaving many people to believe that independence still doesn’t truly exist.

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Congo Anniversary of the Name Change

Noel — Sat, 14 May 2011 17:15:57 +0000

Anniversary of the Name Change Date: May 14

Anniversary of the Name Change is celebrated by the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa celebrates the anniversary of the change of its name on May 14, 2009 from the former Zaire, then ruled by Mobutu and his corrupt political government.

Anniversary of the Name Change History

Mobutu’s government were guilty of serious human rights violations and political corruption against the population of this central Africa country. Mobutu was so infactuated with his political power he even insisted on every bank note to have his image imprinted. Most business’s hung portraits of him on their walls and many people actually wore clothing with his image emblazoned. He established a one party political system and declared himself head of state, Zaire, Africa.

Mobutu was the first Head of State in Africa to be invited for a state visit by newly elected president Bush in 1989. Political historians believe Motubu only had support from the West due to his repulsion and political views against communism and the fact he allowed business’s to export natural sources. The corruption became so intense by 1980 Mobutu was said to have 14 billion dollars in a personal swiss bank account, an amount very close to the countries national debt. He allowed infrastructure to deteriorate while pocketing the funds from International aid in the form of loans. Zaire, became Kleptocracy, A political expression meaning to extend personal wealth at the expense of the population, deriving from the Greek word Klepto meaning theft.

However U.S. relations soon cooled when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1985, and the United States no longer needed a cold war ally. Opponents in Zaire stepped up demands, but the only reforms that came were cosmetic. Tensions from the neighbouring Rwanda brought war, and genocide spilled into Zaire. The Tutsis a political army from Rwanda formed a Militia and rebelled against Mobutu, alongside several other countries. Laurent-Desire Kabila who led a coalition became known as Alliance des Forces Democratiques pour la Liberation du Congo Zaire and successfully achieved the goal and Mobutu was forced out of Africa.

Anniversary of the Name Change Traditions and Activities

Kabila marched into Kinshasa the capital naming himself president and shortly after renamed the country again to the former Democratic Republic of Congo. The Nation chose to reclaim the name republic of Congo since the name Zaire was too connected to Mobutu, they also renamed the Zaire river back to the Congo River. Although this country appears to have always been at political war it is customary to celebrate this day.

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Labour Day; May Day; Workers’ Day; Day of Kazak

Noel — Sun, 01 May 2011 06:00:14 +0000

May Day Date: May 1

May Day is celebrated throughout most of the world as a public holiday.

May 1 is considered as the Labour Day by almost all the nations of the world. The workers of the world celebrate this as an annual holiday. This day is the result of a massive labor union movement; this day celebrates the social and economic achievements of workers. This day is also known as May Day. Not only these two names, May 1 has many other names like Worker’s day, National Unification Day, Day of Kazak people’s Unity, Eid el-Ommal, etc.

History of May Day/Labour Day

The Eight-Hour day movement is the origin of the Labour Day. This movement advocated eight hours of work, eight hours of rest, and eight hours of recreation for workers everywhere. It was a revolution in that period.

In Europe, this day has a much older significance. This day is celebrated as a rural festival, which is primarily more important than the Labour Day movement. This is now an international holiday and various countries hold multi-day celebrations. Some of the countries conduct parades, patriotic and labour oriented events, and shows and other events on this day. On the other hand, in Northern Europe, Walpurgis Night is on this scheduled night, and this holiday combines with the Labour Day in some nations.

Although, May 1 is considered as the Labour Day in various nations, Germany celebrates it on May 2. In 1933, Labour Day was established as an official holiday after the Nazi Party came to power. It was expected that this day would prove to be the symbol of the newfound unity between the state and the people. The next day, that is on May 2, all the free unions were prohibited and outlawed by the Nazis. Yet, since workers celebrated the holiday for numerous decades before any official state approval, the Nazi Party’s endeavor to appropriate it left no more term offense.

Although this day has many names, but the essence of them all is the same – to honor the work force of the nation.

May Day/Labour Day Traditions and Celebrations

Time has changed; so the way of celebrating the day too. Throughout the rest of the world, there are May Day marches and rallies held out in the various part of the country. In England, a grand May Day march at the the famous Brewhouse Yard gardens starts near the Castle, Nottingham.

Even today celebration of May Day has a touch of ancient culture and tradition. The maypole is still one of the major features of the May festivities with distinctive interpretations. But whatever way you look at it the theme of the May Day celebration is all about celebrating the renewal of life with new hopes, new dreams and new resolutions. May Day flower baskets are made and treats are left at the thresholds of the loved ones as a token of good wishes and love to strengthen the bondage and to rekindle the lost touches.

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