Hello everyone, now let's look at the holidays and festivals of africa.

The African
holidays are not unique to them, but it celebrates the usual holidays with the rest of the
world.

New Year’s Day

As we all know, families and friends come together and celebrate the new year.

Anniversary of Barthélemy Boganda’s Death

Considered a hero, Barthélemy Boganda was one of the Central African Republic’s
leading national politicians. He passed away in 1959 just before the legislative elections
and is commemorated annually.

Independence Day
This public holiday commemorates the Central African Republic’s proclamation of
independence from France . The day is celebrated coisli, as everyone is thankful for the
freedom from slavery.

National Day
The day is marked by sports activities, parades, and other activities throughout the
nation. There are boat races along the Ubangi River. Military officials, soldiers and
political leaders attend the parade along with the locals.

Christmas Day
Again as we all know, its celebrated with the whole world.

Now let’s explore top 5 cultural festivals from various countries across the
continent.

5. Mombasa Carnival – November, Kenya

Kenya’s largest annual festival, organized by the Ministry of Tourism, is a carnival of

floats, costumes, music and dance that perfectly showcases the region’s cultural
diversity. Traditional and contemporary musicians perform, and the streets are lined with
stalls offering all sorts of local delicacies, such as fresh coconut milk and the brewed
concoction known as mnazi, which is made from coconut sap.
Participants often dress in traditional kikoy and kanga, and the parade finally winds its
way down to the beach at Fort Jesus for a boat regatta!

4. National Arts Festival – June to July, Grahamstown, South Africa

Africa’s largest cultural event, this annual extravaganza sees the normally quiet streets
of Grahamstown transformed into a hive of colorful activity which attracts local and
international stars alike. Every available room becomes a performance venue, and every
park or sports field becomes a flea market to showcase over 600 separate acts, from
drama to music to stand-up comedy and everything in between! 
3. Hermanus Whale Festival – late September, South Africa
Described as an ‘Enviro-Arts’ festival, the real stars of this show are the migrating
Southern Right Whales, who are the main focus of this South African event. Hermanus
is renowned as the best land-based whale watching destination in the world, and each
year some100,000 visitors flock to the pretty seaside town to experience the whales.

2. Abu Simbel Festival – February and October, Egypt

Fans of Ancient Egypt will adore this festival, which takes place twice a year on October
and February. The magic of this festival is all in the timing – at these two times of the
year, the sun aligns with the entrance of the Abu Simbel temples honoring Ramses II
and his wife, to illuminate two of the three statues within – leaving Ptah, the god of the
underworld, in darkness.

The festival is celebrated by accompanying traditional Nubian dances, live music, and
plenty of street food outside the venue.

1. The Gerewol Festival – late September, Chad

If you’re up for having your beliefs about marriage and gender roles challenged quite a
bit, then this has to be one of the most interesting cultural experiences a traveller can
experience. Each year the nomadic Wodaabe tribes gather at the end of the rainy
season, for what has been described as the world’s most competitive male beauty
pageant!
During this festival, tribes gather on foot, via camel or donkey to come together to
dance, feast, and most importantly – attract a lover or mate. The men, who carry a small
pocket mirror with them at all times, spend hours preparing their clothing and makeup
for the Yakke dancing.

This information is very interesting, During the dance, a woman who wishes to be
‘stolen’ from her current husband by a more attractive mate taps him on the shoulder to
indicate her choice.

There are more festivals than I have described, but these are the most famous

ones. Thank you for listening to us, finally we will watch short videos about the

most famous african music, instruments and singers.