Holidays Around The World � Mauritania 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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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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Mauritania marks National Day

Noel — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:40:36 +0000

Mauritania National Day: November 28

National Day is a public holiday in Mauritania.

The National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the nationhood of a nation or non-sovereign country. On November 28, 1960, Mauritania declared its independence. This nationhood can be symbolized by the date of independence, of becoming republic or a significant date for a patron saint or a ruler. The National Day is celebrated as a national holiday in Mauritania.

Mauritania National Day History

Mauritania did not exist as an independent political unit before 1960. The country was created by colonial France in close alliance with the Arab-Berber theocracy in the Trarza region. The motives for creating the country was to build a bridge between French black West African colonies and Algeria and block the expansionist aspirations of proponents of a greater Morocco. European traders began to show interest in Mauritania in the 15th century. France gained control of the coastal region in 1817, and in 1904 a formal French protectorate was extended over the territory. Morocco opposed the country’s independence in 1960 and for a time tried to absorb it. The political crisis in France that saw the birth of the French Fifth Republic in 1958 necessitated a new French constitution.

In 1958, this new constitution provided for a French Community whose members would be autonomous republics. But status as an autonomous member of the French Community quickly lost its appeal as Mauritania witnessed the wave of nationalism sweeping the African continent. As soon as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania was proclaimed in October 1958, the Territorial Assembly changed its name to the Constituent Assembly and immediately initiated work to draft a national constitution; the document was unanimously adopted by the Constituent Assembly in March 1959 in place of the French constitution, and on November 28, 1960, Mauritania declared its independence.

Mauritania National Day Customs and Activities

People celebrate the day of independence with great pride and honour for their nation. Flag is hosted in the gathering of thousands of people and many patriotic events take place during the day long celebrations. At home people take full advantage of the public holiday and make many delicious meals enjoyed by family and friends.

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Mauritania Armed Forces Day

Noel — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 06:00:29 +0000

Mauritania Armed Forces Day Date: July 10

Armed Forces Day is celebrated in the Mauritania .

Mauritania is a mysterious, little-known Saharan country, where temperatures in the dry desert heat can reach 57˚C (135˚F). Much of the land is dry and inhospitable and many locations are difficult to reach without long journeys in 4-wheel drive vehicles.

Mauritania Armed Forces Day History

A military council was formed following a bloodless coup in August 2005. The council, headed by Colonel Ely Ould Mohammed Vall, said it had acted to end a ’totalitarian’ regime and promised to hold presidential elections within two years. It appointed veteran politician Sidy Mohamed Ould Boubacar as prime minister. Vall handed over to new president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi following elections on 25 March 2007.

Mauritania Armed Forces Day Traditions and Activities

The Parc National du Banc d’Arguin is reputed to be one of Africa’s best places for birdwatching. Amongst the many species that can be observed are large colonies of aquatic birds, such as herons, pelicans and flamingos. The park is fairly difficult to access and the entry fee is approximately US$6 per day. The head office is located in Nouâdhibou.

There are some good spots for fishing and even surfing along the coast in the west. Swimming is also possible, but travelers should note that pickpocketing and crime is reported to be rife on Mauritania’s beaches. Remote and deserted beaches can be found near Nouâdhibou, although travelers should beware of landmines in the area.

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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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