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Angola has several public holidays during the year; however,
only a two of which are religious-based (Christmas and Easter). A little more
than half of its population practice some form of Christianity introduced from
the Portuguese, while the remaining 47% follow various indigenous belief
systems. Two holidays celebrated in Angola are movable holidays: Easter and
Carnival (celebrated the days before Lent starts).
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January 25: Luanda’s Day. Luanda is one of the oldest cities
in Africa (436 years old this year [2012]). The day is celebrated with lots of
music, dancing, food, art displays, and several walking and bus tours of the
city.
February 4: Day of the Armed Struggle. This is held in
memory of the Baixa de Cassanje revolt (1961). Workers at a cotton plant
started to protest for better working conditions. While this was going on, some
of the workers started burning their ID cards and even physically assaulted the
some Portuguese traders who were on the plant grounds. Instead of dealing with
those who were directly involved, the Portuguese authorities responded by
calling for an air raid – on twenty
nearby towns, killing a vast number of people. Most estimates are between 400
and 7000, depending on who’s giving the estimate.
Usually mid-late February: Carnival. Carnival in Angola is celebrate much
the same as in other locations, probably more closer to how it’s celebrated in
Brazil or like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana (USA). There are parades
with floats and people dance and are dressed in quite elaborate costumes. At
night there are huge parties all over, and from the looks of it, people will
dress in all different kinds of costumes – making it look more like a Halloween
party. And of course, the less clothes the women wear, the more popular they
seem to be.
March 8: International Women’s Day. A day acknowledged and celebrated in
176 countries, it’s a celebration aimed at supporting women and women’s issues
and connecting with women all over the world.
Late March to late April: Easter. Like most Christians in
the world who celebrate Easter, Christian Angolans will celebrate by attending
Easter service at church. Many families spend the time with each other, eating,
and celebrating much like other areas that celebrate Easter.
April 4: Day of Peace and Reconciliation. This marks the end of the Angolan Civil
War. There are usually soccer games and religious services. It’s a day
surrounded by talks of peace and especially for peace in the future as well.
May 1: Labor Day. Businesses are closed on this day. It’s a time to spend with families and
friends.
May 25: Africa Day.
This is a day in remembrance of the colonial days and for Africans who
have died in the struggles for independence. Many of the Africans countries that partake in the Africa Day celebrations will
have a number of cultural arts displays, music concerts, and soccer
games.
June 1: International Children’s Day. Many non-for-profit and government organizations
help to promote good health, literacy, and education while trying to fight the
problems that poverty, homelessness and orphanhood that has arisen from years
of civil war.
September 17: Agostinho Neto’s Day/National Heroes Day. This is in celebration of Augostino Neto’s birthday. He was the first president of Angola and was also a reputable
poet as well.
November 2: All Soul’s Day. This is a day of giving alms and spent in remembrance of
those who have already passed away. Many churches will pray for the dead with
the intention of helping them to get out of purgatory.
November 11: Independence Day. Since many of the indigenous
arts were banned during the war, there are often displays of music, dancing,
and visual arts.
December 25: Christmas. You’ll find many of the typical
European Christmas traditions in Angola as well. Schools close, and you’ll find
carolers and decoration-clad buildings.
Angolans love to celebrate with many parties lasting from Christmas on
through New Years. One of the traditions around this time is to eat a sweet
cake called bolo-rei (king-cake) that is formed like a crown. It’s full of
raisins, nuts, and fruits and was introduced by the Portuguese. The cake is
usually made with a fava bean (whoever receives this slice has to make the cake
next year) and a surprise (whoever receives this slice gets good luck for the
next year). It sounds to me an awful lot like a fruitcake. Maybe the surprise
is that this was actually last year’s bolo-rei??
Up next: Art and Literature
Resources:
Wikipedia: “Public Holidays in Angola” “Agostinho Neto”
“Angolan literature”"Carnival"
Children’s Day: http://aglobalworld.com/holidays-around-the-world/international-childrens-day-world/
Day of Peace and Reconciliation: http://aglobalworld.com/holidays-around-the-world/peace-reconciliation-day-angola/
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