Holidays Around The World � Asia Holidays

Reunification Day

Noel — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:12:32 +0000

Reunification Day Date: April 30

Reunification Day is celebrated in Vietnam.

Reunification Day or Victory Day or Liberation Day is the occasion when Saigon was captured by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese troops on April 30,1967. This was the end of the Vietnam War. For the people living in exile it is remembered as the ’Fall of Saigon’. It is considered as a day of reflection by the exiled Vietnamese who were displaced in overseas communities. It also marked the reunification of Vietnam under the communist government. Black April is the name given to the week of April 30.

Reunification Day History

Senior General Van Tien Dung commanded the communist forces and they began their attack on April 29 on Saigon which was under General Nguyen Van Toan with heavy bombardment. By the next day many important points in the city had been captured by the Vietnam troops and their flag rose in the presidential palace. The city was named as Ho Chi Minh City. Preceding this all the American military and civilians in Saigon were evacuated. Thousands of Vietnam civilians were also evacuated with them. This resulted in ‘Operation Frequent Wind’ where the evacuation was carried out. Under this plan ships and helicopters were used to evacuate Americans and the Vietnamese. The main evacuation point was at Tan Son Nhut. By the evening about 4000 Vietnamese and 395 Americans were evacuated. Even at the end of March a lot of Americans started to leave the city. Flights were always fully booked. All through April evacuation was done at great speed.

South Vietnamese who wanted to leave the country made many arrangements. Payments were made in large amounts to obtain passports and exit visas and prices for seagoing vessels tripled. People were forced to sell their property at a very great loss or even abandon it.

The North Vietnamese troops marched towards Saigon and many of the major cities were captured by the end of March. They captured Hue on March 25 and Da Nang on 28th. South Vietnam did not manage to get any increase in the military aid from the United States thereby losing hopes for more American support. By April 27 more than 100,000 troops were in position around the city of Saigon. As more of South Vietnam was occupied by the North Vietnamese President Thieu was facing more opposition from the Senate.

Order was slowly restored in the country though communication with the outside world was cut. General Tran Van Tra was placed in charge of the city. About 200,000 South Vietnamese officers were sent to camps where torture and disease was widespread. One of the objectives of the new government was to reduce the population of the country. Within two years of the capture of Saigon more than one million people had left the country and the government wanted to increase this by another 500,000.

Reunification Day Traditions and Activities

Though the reunification of the nation actually occurred on July 2, 1976 although April 30 is known as Reunification Day. The anniversary is marked by festivals set around the date.

Other interesting posts:

Japan: Showa Day

Carol — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:25:18 +0000

Japan’s Showa Day: April 30

Showa Day is a public holiday in Japan.

Showa Day is celebrated in Japan to commemorate the birth date of Emperor Showa or Hirohito, the emperor of pre and post-World war II. Showa Day is a national holiday and part of the Golden Week which includes other notable Japanese holidays such as the Constitution Day (Kenpo kinenbi) on May 3, Greenery Day (Midori no hi) on May 4, and Children’s Day (Kodomo no hi) on May 5.

Showa is a posthumous name given to Emperor Hirohito after his death in 1989. Greenery Day was used to occupy the holiday on April 29th but was later scheduled on May 4.

History of Japan’s Showa Day

Before 1985, Emperor Hirohito’s birthday is celebrated on the 29th of April; however, upon his death in 1989, April 29 was designated as the Greenery Day, a day dedicated to nature and the environment. Emperor Hirohito is a lover of nature and an enthusiast in the field of marine biology. In fact, the Imperial Palace during his time has a laboratory dedicated to sea animals particularly to saltwater animal belonging to a class of sea animals known as Hydrozoans.

However, in 2007, a bill to put back Emperor’s Day to April 29 was passed. The bill however states that public celebration should encourage the public to reflect on the emperor’s troubled administration and Japan’s challenging recovery after the end of World War II.

Japan’s Showa Day: Traditions, Customs and Activities

The imperial palace and the government of Japan encourage the public to collectively reflect on the current condition of Japan and its future. It is also a time for Japan to commemorate the lives lost during World War II and acknowledge the efforts made when Japan is under economic and social recovery during the Showa the period.

Hotel accommodation rates and spike up during the Golden Week; this means that visiting tourists should request for reservation in advance to save on accommodation fees. As part of Japanese tradition, people visit Hirohito’s tomb in Hachiōji during the holiday.

Other interesting posts:

Afghanistan Victory Day

Noel — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:00:04 +0000

Victory Day Date: April 28

Victory Day is celebrated in Afghanistan.
It is the day all Afghans remember as the day of liberation from the oppressive regime that had so far ruled them, which fell due to the withdrawal of the Soviet Union’s army that had so far supported it. It was on this day in the year 1992 that the regime of Najibullah came to an end. More about the importance and what it means to the people of Afghanistan, can be understood only if we look at the history before that fateful day.

Victory Day History

The Marxist People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) came into power after the Saur revolution which put an end to monarchy in Afghanistan only to create a new problem. The reforms that this government bought on were on lines of communism which was not well received by the people. Since cancellation of farmer debts and abolition of land usury would have helped the farmers but the more powerful landlords and tribe leaders resented them. Also these changes affected the traditions of Islam. This caused dissent among the people and a resistance was formed against the government known as the Mujahedeen resistance.

The Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union was also in full swing at that time. Since the policies of the Afghanistan government was in tune with communism the Soviet Union supported them. The United States and various other countries supported the Mujahedeen resistance causing a raging civil war inside the country. This was a serious blow to the government and they requested military help from the Soviet Union which responded in favor and on December 7, 1979 it invaded Afghanistan. The invasion was complete on December 28, 1979 with the assassination of President Hafizullah Amin. The resistance grew both in support and in strength with heavy inflow from foreign aids.

Finally the Soviets were driven out with heavy causalities on their side due to the guerrilla warfare the Mujahedeen followed. The troops withdrew from the afghan territory in phases and left the country in 1989. Even then the civil war remained in a stalemate. The puppet regime that the Russians had set up was largely ineffective and weakened the PDPA’s divisions. But the party maintained its hold on power until April, 1992 when the Mujahedeen were able to depose it and set up a new governing body.

The results of the civil war affected the citizens the most. It was this war that resulted in the formation of groups like Al-Qaeda which have become terrorist groups. The Afghan casualties of this war exceed a million and it left the country in ruins. The people were very relieved as and when the war had come to an end. This war had resulted in the liberation from a communist government only to leave the country in ruins. Hence April 28 marks the culmination of numerous sacrifices and a period of history that saw the violent victimization of millions of Afghans, the destruction of the country’s economic foundation and the displacement of more than a third of the country’s population, the Afghanistan Victory day.

Victory Day Traditions and Activities.

Victory Day is also known as:

Sawr Revolution Day
Liberation Day

Other interesting posts:

Myanmar’s Thingyan (Water Festival)

Carol — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:22:25 +0000

Myanmar’s Thingyan: April 13-16

Thingyan is a public holiday in Myanmar.

Myanmar observes the yearly four day celebration of Thingyan ending in New Year. The celebration of Thingyan is not the same each year as its celebration depends on the Burma’s lunisolar calendar and other astrological events. Thingyan is also popularly known as Water Festival.

History of Myanmar’s Thingyan

The celebration of Thingyan did not originate from Myanmar but from the people of India, the Hindus, who migrated to Burma and served in courts of the then Kingdoms during ancient Burma; there they hold important posts allowing them to inject their native cultures little by little into the lives of the people. The tradition was however modified from generation to generation forming a unique celebration that showing the unique culture and tradition of Myanmar.

The oldest recorded history of the celebration of Thingyan was in the 13th century. Historical accounts had it that Nara Thiha Pathae (King of Bagan) instructed the royal ladies to throw water at one of his wives adhering to what was then known as the popular tradition during the celebration of the Thingyan. Considering that the celebration was new only a few people knew that throwing water at one another is part of the celebration, the wife, feeling that she was humiliated, planned to assassinate the king. The King found out about his mistress’ plans and immediately executed her along with her families and relatives by burning them at stake.

Myanmar’s Thingyan: Traditions, Customs and Activities

Apart from the usual water throwing, people pay visit to their parents during Thingyan. Most usually travel back to their old villages to visit their elderly and spend the rest of the festival there. Hair washing using the traditional shampoo bean called Acacia rugata is popular.

The time when Thingyan falls is usually the hottest season in Myanmar; it is when smaller lakes dry up because of the heat of the sun. Because of this, it has become a tradition to rescue the fishes inhabit this area and are transferred to larger lakes. Before releasing the captured fishes, a prayer is said saying,

“I release you once, you release me ten times.”

It is also thought that doing good deeds during the event is thought to add up to good karma. It is also during this time when people visit temples and Buddhists observes the tradition of Theravada Buddhism where they spend a short time with the monks and be instructed with the traditional teachings of Buddha.

Some of the traditional food during this time is the rice balls called ‘mont loun yeibaw’ filled with palm sugar inside. It is cooked by throwing the rice balls in a container with boiling water and taken out of the container when they finally surfaced.

Another popular food is the ‘Mont let saung’ made with sweet syrup and coconut milk and served with grated coconut meat and sesame seeds on top.

Other interesting posts:

Bangladesh Celebrates Bangla Nababarsha (Bengali New Year)

Noel — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:19:45 +0000

Bangla Nababarsha or Pohela Boishakh in Bangladesh: April 14

Bangla Nababarsha is celebrated as a public holiday in Bangladesh

Bangla Nababarsha (Nôbobôrsho) is the first day of the Hindu Bengali calendar which is celebrated by the people of Bangladesh every 14th of April in the Gregorian calendar. New Year’s Day celebration is also known to the Bengali as Pohela Boishakh.

History of Bangla Nababarsha or Pohela Boishakh in Bangladesh

The tradition of the celebration of the first day of the Bengali calendar was introduced the Mughal Emperor when he reformed the calendar so that the collection of taxes would match up with the harvesting period.

On the next day after the New Year, the landlords would approach their tenants and offer them with sweets followed by parades and festivals. Basically, the tradition of the Pohela Boishakh was a custom to clear up all debts on the last day of the year.

Bangla Nababarsha or Pohela Boishakh Traditions, Customs and Activities

The Pohela Boishakh is warmly and joyfully celebrated all over Bangladesh and to other countries who adopted the Bengali calendar. People celebrate the event with loud festivities and parades to the streets.

Part of the tradition of the businessmen is that they close all their book of accounts and would start a new one at the first day of the Bengali calendar. This is believed as a way of renewing and strengthening the business relationships with their customers and business partners.

People start the celebration by having everything cleaned. People would take a bath in the morning and wear their clothes made from their finest linen. After which they would go the streets and start visiting their relatives and neighbors. People gather and follow the float parades and band performances.

Other interesting posts:

Cambodian New Year Celebration: Chol Chnam Thmey

Noel — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:14:00 +0000

Chol Chnam Thmey or Cambodian New Year: April 14

Khmer (Cambodian) New Year is celebrated as a public holiday in Cambodia

The Cambodian New Year or popularly known to the natives as Chol Chnam Thmey is celebrated for three days and usually falls around the 13th or 14th of April depending on the Buddhist calendar which relies on the Lunar calendar. This day usually marks the end of the harvesting season.

History of the Cambodian New Year

The history of Cambodia has a very exciting culture and tradition that dates back from the ancient times. And the commemoration of the Cambodian New year is one of the most celebrated festivities.

The Khmer (Cambodian language) New Year is being observed, usually in the middle of April right after the farmers gathered their harvests. Apart from the purpose of merry making during this celebration, the New Year symbolizes a new start for the people by renewing their lives and leaving back the bad habits from the past year. The people hope for a better year and ask for blessings and prosperity to their God Buddha.

Cambodian New Year Traditions, Customs and Activities

The Cambodian New Year lasts for three days and each day has a significant tradition that the people religiously follow.

The first day is known as the Maha Songkran. People welcome the first day of the year by buying new clothes and dressing up with using the finest and colorful linen. It is also believed that the angels come down from heaven and give blessings to all of God’s creations so the people offer flower bouquets and garlands to the Lord Buddha. They give other material presents like candles, incense, aromatic water and food especially fruits which they also offer to the priests and monks in the temples.

The second day after the New Year is the Wanabat. This day is centered to the spirit of charity and gift giving. The Cambodian family usually holds reunions and get-together with their relatives. They, too give alms and food to the poor and less fortunate.

The third day, which is the last day of the Cambodian New Year, is the Tngay Leang Saka which involves the cleansing and decorating of their religious figures by washing them with scented water and flower petals. During the evening of the last day of the New Year tradition, the Cambodians gather for the Pithi Srang Preah ceremony which involves the bathing of the Buddha statues, preachers, priests and the grown-ups. This ritual is centered to repentance and forgiveness for all the things that happened to them the previous year.

Aside form the solemn customs that they observe, they also celebrate this special event with traditional games and dances.

Other interesting posts:

Bangladesh Celebrates Bangla Nababarsha (Bengali New Year)

The Nepali New Year Celebration

Noel — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:12:50 +0000

Nepali New Year: April 14

Nepali New Year is celebrated as a public holiday in Nepal

The New Year is celebrated by the Nepali people and is also known as Navavarsha which is based on Nepal’s lunar calendar called Nepal Sambat. The first day of the Nepal Sambat usually falls around the 11th to the 15th of April. The Navavarsha is one the many festivities of Nepal celebrated with parades, parties, family gatherings and a lot of food.

History of the Nepali New Year

The Nepali custom celebrates their religious merriments on a varying date because it is based on the lunar calendar as opposed to their national holidays that are observed on fixed dates.

The Nepali New Year or the Navavarsha according to the locals is a religious holiday celebrated with great significance and is observed with deep respect and devotion. Just like many other countries, they commemorate the event with the hopes of having a lot of blessings and prosperity as they face the New Year.

Nepali New Year Traditions, Customs and Activities

The celebration of the Nepali New Year comes with joyful activities that include street dances, parades and reunions. The occasion has always been enthusiastically participated and fully funded by the organizations and individuals.

The Navavarsha usually falls during the 2nd week of April which is considered by the Nepalese as the first day of Baisakh, the first month of the Bikram Sambat calendar. It’s a time of the year where the entire country rejoices with colorful ornaments and social activities as they welcome the New Year.

The major part of the event is centered to their religion. According to their rituals, the locals spend their time early in the morning with prayers and worships inside their temples and offer Puja which is a ritual devoted for their gods. After they present the Puja, they would walk around the temple opposing the direction of the clock as they ring bells.

Parts of the event are the traditional games and sports that the people organize during this day. Most of the youth participate in pageants and contests to showcase their talents as well.

Other interesting posts:

Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival in Sri Lanka

Carol — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:33:19 +0000

Sinhala & Tamil New Year: April 11-12

Sinhala & Tamil New Year is a public holiday in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka celebrates Sinhala & Tamil New Year. The date of the celebration may vary and may either fall on the 13th or the 14th of the month of April.

History of Sri Lanka’s Sinhala & Tamil New Year

The celebration of Sinhala & Tamil New Year was motivated by various religious influences in Sri Lanka, namely Buddhist and Hindu. However, it is believed that the celebration of New Year has existed long before the religions came into the scene. These religions have somehow penetrated the core of Sri Lankan culture and associated their rituals to thanksgiving after harvesting agricultural produce. However, most of the mythological background of the festival has touch of Hindu religion.

Sri Lankan’s also connect the date and timing of the festivity during the mating season of a bird endemic in the region – Asian Koel. The signature “koo-ooo” call of the male Koel bird dominates the tree-saturated portion of the country signaling the bird’s looking for a mate.

Sri Lanka’s Sinhala & Tamil New Year: Traditions, Customs and Activities

The celebration of Sinhala & Tamil New Year may officially lasts for seven days but still depends on the family’s social and economic status. People, young and old, take part in religious celebrations as a thanksgiving for a year of bountiful harvest.

This celebration is a time when people wear their best or newly bought dress for the new year. Traditional Sri Lankan food is served which are shared by family members and the visiting relatives. Coconut-based sweets and delicacies are also popular during the holiday.

A great number of Sri Lankan families in major cities and towns across the country usually stay in hotels and rather eat in restaurants to celebrate the new year.

One tradition that is linked to Sinhala & Tamil New Year is the parents’ anointing of oils to their children a symbol for blessing their children for a plentiful and abundant new year ahead. Fireworks abound and lit up the sky at night.

Other interesting posts:

Songkran: Thailand’s Yearly Water Festival

Noel — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:16:25 +0000

Songkran Festival: April 13-15

Songkran or Water Festival is celebrated as a public holiday in Thailand.

The Songkran or Water Festival is Thailand’s most celebrated yearly holiday. It is the country’s own way of celebrating the New Year and usually lasts from the 13th up to the 15th of April. It is a wet celebration because part of the tradition is the intense but fun water-throwing by the people.

History of Songkran Festival in Thailand

Songkran is a Sanskrit term which means the entrance of the sun into any of the zodiac signs more specifically of the Aries Zodiac. This festival is being held during the hottest season in Thailand which made the throwing of water as one of the most essential activities during this festival. Traditionally, the full name of the festivity is Maha Songkran to distinguish it from the other Songkrans. But since it is the only Songkran that is being celebrated by the Thai, the festival came popular as simply Songkran.

The essence of the celebration is for the people to develop their religious customs and traditions by making various offerings and alms to their religious figures. It is also a time for the people to unite and bond with each other by celebrating all together in the streets and meeting up acquaintances.

Songkran Festival in Thailand Traditions, Customs and Activities

During the entire day of the celebration, people roam around the streets as they bring water with them so they can splash it with other people. Because the festivity takes place under the heat of the sun, throwing of water is always fun and refreshing to the Thais.

On the solemn part of the celebration, people usually spend time to visit and pay respects to their family members, relatives and friends. They also cleanse their Buddha images at home and in the monasteries by pouring them with water containing various fragrances and flower petals after which they offer prayers and rituals. This tradition is believed to be bringing good luck and prosperity. Meanwhile, water symbolizes the cleansing of the spirit and washing away the bad vibes.

The Songkran Festival is one of the few days of the year in Thailand where the people gather together for performances and programs organized by the local government to display the talents of the people and entertain the many.

Other interesting posts:

Party with Laotians During Pi Mai (Lao New Year)

Carol — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:35:22 +0000

Pi Mai: April 13 – April 15

Laos’ Pi Mai is a public holiday in Laos.

Laos’ Pi Mai or New Year is a three-day celebration usually from April 13-15. Pi Mai is considered a traditional new year of religious in nature. The festivity is a considered as a public holiday in Laos so the working class takes their off from work to visit their families in remote towns and cities to celebrate this exciting feast.

History of Laos’ Pi Mai

The celebration of Pi Mai was originally an old tradition practiced by the Khmer and Mon-Burmese (ethnic Cambodians and Burmese/Myanmar) of Laos. The Laotians have learned to adopt the culture and tradition of above ethnic group which practice thanksgiving during the monsoon season where practically all native agricultural crops grow abundantly in the country.

Laos’ Pi Mai: Traditions, Customs and Activities

The celebration of Pi Mai is different from the first day to the last. The first day is spent watching street parades organized by local government and community leaders and its members. The second day is usually marked with “water events” where people fill up individual pales and bins as they prepare to wet one another. It is not unusual to see foreigners participate with delight in traditional water fights along with Lao residents young and old.

During the last night of the celebration, considered to be the “New Year” where members of family prepare white bands or white strings which are believed to bring good luck for the coming year. These white bands are given to someone present in the house, the receiving party gives a white band back to the giver in hopes that all members of the family will get to experience a bountiful life for the coming year. As always, traditional Lao cuisine tops the food served during the festivity.

Temple caretakers and monks wash the Buddha images before the new year starts to prepare them for incoming visitors and the faithful. Laotians around the globe, especially in areas with high concentration of Lao citizens observe the celebration of Pi Mai.

If you are a tourist, it’s advisable to be at Vientiane or Luang during Pi Mai as these cities holds a great number of activities that will surely excite every visiting tourists.

Other interesting posts: