Holidays Around The World � Equatorial Guinea Holidays

Orthodox New Year Celebrated by Orthodox Christians

Noel — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:30 +0000

Orthodox New Year: January 14

Orthodox New Year is a religious observance for Orthodox Christians all over the world.

Orthodox New Year is also known as Old New Year. The New Year falls on January 1 on the old Julian calendar, corresponding to January 14 on the modern Gregorian calendar, and it will remain as such until 2100. Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar that was the effective calendar before the appearance of the Gregorian calendar edited by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.

History of Orthodox New Year

Julius Cesar introduced the Julian calendar as a reform to the Roman calendar in 46 BC. This was the widely accepted calendar until the twentieth century, when it was replaced by the Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Some countries (mostly Roman Catholic countries) immediately adopted the new calendar, while others took some time to adopt it. Orthodox Churches nowadays use a revised Julian calendar to calculate the dates of their main celebrations.

Celebrations of New Year by the Orthodox countries are mainly marked by religious services dedicated to the circumcision of Jesus Christ, while on the more secular side, people celebrate New Year in the same fashion as everywhere else in the world. The Orthodox Church always tries to set a tone of moderation to New Year celebrations since these celebrations still fall under the days of Christmas season.

Orthodox New Year Traditions, Customs and Activities

As in many other countries, even though the date changes, the spirit of New Year is the same. It is a time when Orthodox countries look back on the year that ended and look with hope to the New Year that is about to start. It is a day that is spent among family and friends. Religious services are attended to celebrate the feast of the circumcision of Jesus. Orthodox churches organize parties and dinners for the entire congregation. Some churches use these dinners to promote charity events and gather funds for projects to start during the New Year.

In the ex-Russian republics, it is believed that on this day all their problems from the previous year will leave them with success arriving at their door during the New Year. In Orthodox Greece and Russia, the secular New Year date follows the Gregorian calendar, and the date of January 14 is mainly for religious celebrations. Even so, there are fireworks on this date as well as gatherings of family and friends around the table to enjoy a peaceful meal.

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Equatorial Guinea Constitution Day

Noel — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:46:53 +0000

Constitution Day Date: August 15

Equatorial Guinea celebrates Constitution Day as a public holiday.

Equatorial Guinea located on the western coast of Africa celebrates its constitution day on 15th august every year. This independent republic nation adopted the constitution on 15th august 1982. Since then 15th august is a public holiday for the nation to respect the constitution of the country.

Equatorial Guinea Constitution Day History

Equatorial Guinea used to be a single party state under the 1982 constitution. In 1987, this state party was identified as the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea. However, in 1991 a fresh multiparty constitution was started after the approval from people referendum. House of Representative consisting of 80 members replaced the actual legislature of 41 members. Under this constitution, universal adult voters elect a president for a period of seven years and the legislators or Chamber of People’s Representatives members for a period of five years. The president appoints a cabinet. All elements of the government including the legislative and judiciary division are under the supervision of the president. A prime minister who is appointed and assigned powers by the president runs the government. The nation is separated into seven provinces administratively. The Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea currently serves as the only legal and commanding administrative organization. There has been no past record of democratic procedure in the country, the leadership being passed from colonial power to a domineering dictatorship.

Under the 1982 constitution, the president is the most powerful person in the government. He can discard the members of the cabinet, dictate laws, dismiss the Chamber of Representatives, discuss and sign treaties and summon the legislative elections. The president maintains his post of the commander in chief of the armed forces and also supervises closely on the military movements. Recently in June 2004 the president reformed the cabinet by introducing two additional posts of Minister of National Security and Director of National Forces.

The Fundamental Law of the State has been changed to the Constitutional Law under which Spanish and French were declared as the official language of the nation. Spanish law and the tribal system together form the basis of the constitutional system. Brutal crimes as well as minor theft occur much less in this country compared to other African nations. The rights of the civilians are limited and extensively controlled by the government. The convicts are severely tortured and are not entertained by the judicial system. There has been a long record of government’s intervention in privacy and family. There is strict regulation on activity and migration, press and religion among other assaults.

Equatorial Guinea Constitution Day Traditions and Activities

Equatorial Guinea was a Spain colony until August 12 1968. On august 17, 1968 the natives of Equatorial Guinea had accepted a Constitution under which they were asked for vote of approval soon after the referendum. On august 12, 1979 London was supposed to draft a constitution for the nation to separate the white minority continuing the political party.

Equatorial Guinea is currently one of the honorable members of the United Nation, the African Union and the European Union and celebrates the national holiday of Constitution Day with joy and happiness.

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Equatorial Guinea Liberty Day

Noel — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:35:09 +0000

Liberty Day Date: Aug 3

Liberty Day is a public holiday in Equatorial Guinea.

A Constitution of a country is a set of regulations for the administration of that country. The functioning of a government in any country is highly dependent on the country’s Constitution as it specifies the powers, functions, responsibilities and duties of the government and also specifies the rights and duties of citizens of the country. The Constitution of a country may be codified (that is, contained in a single document) or uncodified, and it may be written or it may be unwritten. Uruguay has a codified, written Constitution.

Equatorial Guinea Liberty Day History

In Uruguay, Constitution Day is celebrated on July 18. Uruguay is not the only country to celebrate a Constitution Day- a specific day to commemorate the signing, promulgation or adoption of the Constitution of a particular country is observed in several countries of the world. The Constitution Day of Uruguay is officially known as Jura de la Constitución de la República Oriental del Uruguay. Constitution Day has been observed in Uruguay since 1830, when Uruguay adopted its first Constitution. Presently, it commemorates the Constitution of 1951, which established a collegiate form of government in the country.

Equatorial Guinea Liberty Day Traditions and Activities

Constitution Day is a public holiday in Uruguay. Normally, the country’s President, Vice-President, ministers, legislators and common citizens attend the celebrations. The celebrations are marked by playing of the national anthem and speeches made by political leaders. The media coverage of the Constitution Day in Uruguay is exhaustive.

Apart from the official celebrations, there are social events organised by the citizens to commemorate the day. Races, parades, rallies, marathons and marches are common events. Participation in such activities is not compulsory, but citizens participate willingly since this is a day of great national pride and glory and commemoration of this day by the citizens of Uruguay is natural. Also, this is a wonderful occasion for the citizens of the country to interact with their fellow countrymen.

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Equatorial Guinea Armed Force Day

Noel — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 05:10:00 +0000

Equatorial Guinea Armed Force Day Date: August 3

Armed Force Day is a public holiday in Equatorial Guinea.

Armed force day is one those days, which is celebrated in many countries in order to respect their military organizations together. On this day, all the divisions of the defense together are respected for their huge devotion and dedication towards the country. Though different military organization have their own day, such as Army Day, Air Force Day, Navy Day etc, but the Armed forces Day together celebrates the achievement of all these branches of defense. The armed Forces Day is celebrated on August 3rd every year in Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea Armed Force Day History

The military history of Equatorial Guinea is not very great. The military has been reorganized several times for the betterment and more effectiveness and no doubt, the results were successful and fruitful. The total number of people serving in the Armed forces amounts to 2500 only. Out of these 2500, 1400 are in Army, 200 in the navy, 400 are deployed as Paramilitary police and the air force comprises of only 120 service people. Basically, the army is not trained up to the requirements of the present day, and neither are they equipped with the latest versions of arms and ammunitions.

The present armed forces of Equatorial Guinea are equipped with the arms, which are light and small. The arms include small arms, RPGs, and Mortars. The forces are not equipped with latest heavy arms. The light armored vehicles and trucks are all soviet style and do not run or work properly. The armed forces also contain another division called Gendarmerie. The numbers of this division is not known and are trained by the help of French Military cooperation. Thus the armed force of Equatorial Guinea are not very well trained and are not self sufficient to operate, and thus rely on foreigners to operate. The number of paved aerodromes, number of working aircrafts etc are all very less. They acquire various ammunitions and warfare vehicles from foreign countries.

Equatorial Guinea Armed Force Day Traditions and Activities

In spite of having a bad military record the armed forces day is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Equatorial Guinea. There is no lack of celebration for the armed forces. Though small in number, they are felicitated well on that auspicious day. The armed forces are said to be the most devotional and dedicated work men. This is the reason they are so much respected. The lifestyle they live comprises of discipline and honor, and the hardship they undergo, is because of the countrymen. Thus, on this one day, they are respected thoroughly for their kind devotion in front of all those for whom they take up all those pains. The celebration includes a felicitation ceremony where these men are honored and respected, followed by a huge and grand dinner in the name of the Armed Forces. The whole country gets a public holiday on this day, and the armed forces men enjoy together. They meet, they eat, they drink, for one day they lay the burden of responsibility away from their shoulders and enjoy to their utmost level and why should not they? They have also the right to live for themselves, but they live for others more than they live for themselves.

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African Liberation Day on the African continent

Carol — Wed, 25 May 2011 02:26:12 +0000

African Liberation Day: May 25

African Liberation Day is a public holiday in Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritania, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Africa celebrates the anniversary of the historic founding of Organization of African Unity (OAU), a day that is known all throughout the African world as African Liberation Day. Just like in other countries across the continent, African Liberation Day is celebrated annually every 25th of March.

History of African Liberation Day

The first pan-African meeting was held in Accra, Ghana where African leaders from independent states in Africa including Egypt, Sudan, Ghana, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Liberia, Ghana, Libya, Cameroon, Morocco, and Algeria (representatives from National Liberation Front) have come together to call for universal independence of other African countries which were still under foreign control.

The conference led to the establishment of African Freedom Day, a holiday that reflects the march to freedom of African nations still under colonial status.

A little five years after the conference took place, a conference was again held on May 25, 1963 and attended by 32 independent African States and formed the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The Organization of African Unity (OAU) promotes oneness among African nations and their people and calls for the liberation of African nations by their colonial masters. Along with this meeting is the establishment of African Liberation Day, formally replacing African Freedom Day.

African Liberation Day: Traditions, Customs and Activities

The African Liberation Day in Chad is celebrated with sports and dance contests. Musical activities are also organized at N’Djamena, the country’s capital. African Liberation Day is one of the most important holidays in many African countries and is considered a day of no work.

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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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New Year

Noel — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 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

Equatorial Guinea Independence Day

Noel — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 07:56:43 +0000

Equatorial Guinea Day: October 12

Independence Day is a public holiday in the Equatorial Guinea.

The day a country gains independence is a snapshot of history that is cherished and celebrated by that country forever. The Equatorial Guinea celebrates their Independence Day on October 12 as a celebration of pride.

History of Equatorial Guinea Independence Day

Equatorial Guinea was originally an African colony of Spain , called Spanish Guinea. The country is bordered by Cameroon and Gabon , which are former French colonies. Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest continents in Africa , composed of a mainland portion, and five inhabited islands. The majority of the Guineans speak Spanish and some also speak French, which are the two official languages of the country.

Equatorial Guinea is one of the most underdeveloped countries in Africa , but with the discovery of petroleum and natural gas reserves in the Gulf of Guinea , major investment have been made by the U.S and many oil companies. Steps have been taken to pave some of the country’s main roads, improve the electrical and telecommunications systems, establish offices, and build hotels in the country. The country is also taking steps to build modern housing complexes for those who can afford them. The country is working to be the foundation for a modern and sophisticated Guinean working class.

In 1968, Francisco Macias Nguema was elected as Equatorial Guinea ’s first president, and independence was recognized in October 1968. Under Presidents Nguema’s leadership, one third of the Guinean population was exiled. The economy had collapsed, and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo deposed Francisco Macias in a coup d’etat battle. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo then became the president of the country in 1979. He has the country ever since and some believe that the past elections have been flawed to keep President Mbasogo in office since he has full political control over the entire political system.

Equatorial Guinea Independence Day Traditions, Customs, and Activities

The celebration of Independence Day in Equatorial Guinea is similar to the celebration of the United States. Public facilities are typically closed and many celebrations are held in honor of this day. For example, a festival was held in the town of Evinayong, a provincial capital on the continent as a celebration of spirit and pride for the country.

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