CANADA: HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

The Canadians evidently followed in the path of the Australians in making something like public holidays a moderately complicated affair. In Canada, these are called “statutory holidays” (or “stat holidays,” or simply “stats.” I’m not sure you can abbreviate it much more than that. Maybe “sta” or “st.”) To complicate it, each province and territory has own holidays, and sometimes will celebrate certain stat holidays on a different day than others. For the sake of keeping things slightly simple, I’m only listing the nationwide stat holidays, the ones that banks and federal employees get off, and a couple others of note.

New Year’s Day.  January 1.  For most people, New Year’s Eve is spent with friends and family. Others like to spend it out at bars and clubs or at other parties with lots of drinks and food. There’s actually a tradition in some rural areas, especially in Quebec, where people will get together to go ice fishing at night on New Year’s Eve. And like the United States, Canada has its own polar bear clubs who decide New Year’s Day is the perfect time to go swimming outdoors. Because nothing brings in the New Year like hypothermia.

Family Day. Third Monday in February.  It’s a stat holiday in Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, while British Columbia celebrates it the week before. In Manitoba, they celebrate it, but under the name Louis Riel Day. Likewise, Prince Edward Island calls it Islanders Day. It’s a day to celebrate families and family involvement in the community. Museums, art galleries, and other community events often will have free or reduced prices on this day. Many people will try to use the long weekend to visit family or take a short trip. 

Good Friday.  Varies.  This day is observed in all provinces and territories, except for Quebec, who only partially observes it (I’m guessing more on a voluntary basis as to who gets off of work and who doesn’t?). For Christians, this is the day that marks when Jesus was crucified upon the cross and died. Many churches hold special Good Friday services, and hot cross buns are a traditional treat made (or bought) around this time. 

Easter Monday.  Varies. Easter itself is held in many of the same ways as the US and other countries that celebrate Easter: church services in the morning, followed by a large lunch with family and friends. While Easter Monday is considered a public holiday, many businesses and restaurants do open back up on this day.

Victoria Day.  Monday on or before May 24. This holiday is in honor of Queen Victoria’s birthday, the first sovereign of a Canadian province.  It’s also considered the informal start of summer (like Memorial Day is in the US).  It’s celebrated with parades and fireworks and everyone enjoys the long weekend.

Canada Day.  July 1. This day was enacted for the signing of the British North America Act of 1867 (also called the Constitution Act), which basically united three colonies into one country called Canada.  It’s celebrated in many of the same ways as other country’s independence days: it’s decked out in the national colors of red and white, and many towns clear their streets for annual parades; people gather at friend’s or family’s homes to barbecue and fireworks displays light up the sky at night.  Communities often hold large festivals and public events with cultural arts fests and live music concerts.

August Civic Holiday.  First Monday in August. Civic holiday is somewhat of a vague holiday which more of less involved a day off to learn about and support local arts, cultures, and heritages. Not every province and territory celebrates this holiday, and many of those that do celebrate it under some other name.

Labor Day.  First Monday in September. Unlike most of the world who celebrates Labor Day on May 1, Canadians celebrate Labor Day alongside the US on the first Monday in September. Labor Day parades are common, and many people enjoy the long weekend with barbecues and some take short trips. They also see Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer and also follow the same unwritten rule we do: you don’t wear white after Labor Day (which I’ve often thought was a stupid rule and break it often.)

Thanksgiving. Second Monday in October.  Thanksgiving in Canada generally is celebrated under the same pretenses as the American holiday: a day designated to give thanks for all that we have (and they also have Thanksgiving Day parades and football as well). Because it takes place in October, it also coincides with many Oktoberfests and other harvest fests as well. Cornucopias are common decorations. And many share a meal of turkey or ham and many harvest vegetables (mashed potatoes, squash, green beans, etc), and of course ending with pumpkin pie (probably not as good as my mom’s pumpkin pie, though).

Remembrance Day.  November 11. Also known as Armistice Day (or Veteran’s Day in the US) and celebrated in Commonwealth countries to honor those who have died in wars since WWI. Red poppies are a common symbol based on the poem “In Flander’s Field,” and many are placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa. Community ceremonies, some with 21-gun salutes, and military parades are often planned events on this day.

Christmas Day.  December 25. Canadians decorate their homes and businesses for Christmas weeks in advance, leading up to Santa Claus bringing gifts on Christmas Eve night (in some families). Special church services are held, and families spend time together eating large meals together.  Plum pudding or Christmas pudding is sometimes eaten out of tradition. Many people, especially in Quebec do their Christmas activities on Christmas Eve.

Boxing Day. December 26. Primarily celebrated in the Commonwealth countries, it’s a public holiday in most provinces and territories.  In Canada, Boxing Day equals one of the largest shopping days of the year (like Black Friday [the day after Thanksgiving] in the US).  For those who don’t shop, there’s always plenty of hockey…

Up next: art and literature

CANADA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

During the summer of 2003, I was working in northern Minnesota at Concordia Language Villages. Two others from my camp (Japanese camp) decided to meet up with two girls from the French camp – friends of my coworker – and head up into Canada on our time off. We were roughly a four-to-five-hour drive from the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. I happened to have my passport on me since I was getting ready to go to Brazil after camp ended. I learned a lot in just the day I spent in Canada. First of all, border guards don’t find their questions ridiculous, as we did. (We handed him three passports for each of us – one from Florida, from Indiana, and Illinois – and he said “You drove from Florida just to stay for a day!?” His second question was whether we had more than $10,000 on us – we laughed because our camp is known for paying us more in experience than monetarily. But he let us through. I guess he hadn’t hit his quota of loud, obnoxious Americans for the day, but it was still morning, though. At least none of us were wearing fanny packs. We were supposed to be going to some Winnie the Pooh festival that one of the girls from the French camp wanted to go to, but when she saw there were a million parents and five million kids, she decided it probably wasn’t the ideal place for someone who was claustrophobic (maybe should’ve thought of that sooner, Sherlock). But regardless, we found some bar and grill with an outdoor patio – even though it was a sweltering 90 degrees; I thought Canada was supposed to be cooler?  Since crowds were somehow out, we managed to find a mall downtown with an IMAX theatre and hung out there, watched a movie, bought some shot glasses with maple leafs on them – you know, highly important things. On the way back, we found this French bakery and loaded up on some good bread, except as we neared the border again, we remembered we couldn’t take food back into the States. The three of us were shoving croissants and mini baguettes down our throats so that it would make the guy who wins the hot dog eating contest every year sit back and take notes. And that’s my one-day impression of Canada. (So far.)

Canada and the US share the longest land border (5525 miles!), and it’s also the largest country to only border one country. Minnesota may be the land of 10,000 lakes, but Canada has between two million and three million lakes of all sizes – more than all the other countries combined. (I’ve always said Minnesota is actually southern Canada. Like Gary, Indiana is actually part of Chicago. True story.) Because of the vast frozen tundra of the north, ninety percent of the population lives within 160 km (about 100 mi) of the US-Canada border. And the other ten percent must be tougher than nails. 

Canada has two official languages: English and French (especially spoken in the province of Quebec). This is the result of the land grab wars between the British and the French from the 1600s all the way through the late 1800s. Canada officially gained independence from Britain in 1867 and is part of the Commonwealth nations, which is governed by Queen Elizabeth II of England. However, they do have their own prime minister who handles pretty much all of the business, Stephen Harper. The multicultural and diverse environment celebrated in Canada is exuded in their music, arts, and cuisine. Religion is also fairly diverse; the majority following Christianity (of which more people consider themselves Catholic than Protestant), followed by over 16% of the people not declaring any particular religion, and a little over 6% are non-Christian (Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, etc.)

The northern part of the country – the Arctic (I’ve often thought Santa Claus was a Canadian) – is covered in ice and permafrost. Natural glaciers that have been around since the last ice age are there permanently (hopefully, if we don’t mess it up). Canada also has several mountain ranges with several active volcanoes, which are linked to and the cause of a lot of seismic activity as well. The St. Lawrence River leading through the Great Lakes was once thought to be part of the Northwest Passage – the first explorers’ hopeful link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Later they figured out you could cross through the Arctic (there’s a dispute over this: Canada declares that others need to ask permission before passing through; others think that it’s international waters and don’t need to ask. It sounds like my kids.)

Canada’s capital is probably one that is missed by many Americans: Ottawa. Granted, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver are more populated than Ottawa is. Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital mainly for two reasons: that the backwoods which surrounded it at the time was a natural barrier, and that it was halfway between Toronto and Quebec City. She also thought a smaller city would help resist against adverse political movements. Toronto lies on Lake Ontario and is highly multicultural with a lot of artistic features and sporting events (and happens to be the sister-city with Chicago). Montreal is the capital of Quebec, and a large part of the city proper lies on an island. More than 2/3 of the people speak French, and there are many large corporations whose headquarters are in either Toronto or Montreal. Vancouver is one of the larger cities on the west coast – most of the major cities are centered in the eastern sections of the country. It’s home to the 2010 Winter Olympics and the one of the largest film industries in North America (some call it Hollywood North). It also tends to be a little more temperate climate-wise than the rest of Canada.

 

Quebec City, probably the most European-looking city in Canada

Canada is a highly developed country: 99% of the people are literature, have adequate healthcare and access to medications and doctors; almost 100% have access to clean water and sanitation. The 2012 figures on unemployment put it around 7.3%, while the US was listed at 8.2% (even though I think the figure that just came out this past week was that we were down to around 7.7%).  Canada is also one of the starting points for certain drugs to enter the US, like weed and ecstasy.  Besides it’s music and movie sets, Canada has a HUGE interest in hockey as well as other winter sports. It was the host of the two Winter Olympics (Calgary in 1988, Vancouver in 2010), as well as hosting one Summer Olympics (Montreal in 1976).

I’ve worked with three Canadians in my lifetime, and weirdly enough they were all from British Columbia. (One of them told me one time that British Columbia had once thought of leaving Canada and joining the US – I don’t know if that’s true at all or not, but another friend of mine and I starting thinking up names for what we could call it this new “state.” We tentatively came up with North Pacifica, but then Chrysler came out with a crossover called the Pacifica, so we threw it out – even though it’s assembly plant was in Windsor, Ontario. Go figure.) Regardless of this poking-fun-at-each-other-because-we-secretly-like-each-other relationship we have with Canada, I’m kind of excited about exploring our neighbor to the north this week. Mostly because I’m pretty sure there’s more to it than moose and forests and ice and polar bears and hockey and curling and cheap prescription drugs and loons and lakes and Canadian bacon (which isn’t really Canadian, nor is Kevin Bacon since I’m mentioning non-Canadian bacons), the Red Green Show (best show ever!), politeness and other Canadian things that come to mind, eh.

Up next: holidays and celebrations

CAMEROON: THE FOOD

Normally, I do my shopping for the ingredients on Saturday and then I do my cooking on Sunday afternoons. Well, this weekend my normal cooking day got usurped by Easter. And I felt it would probably cause a rift in the family or at least risk me being called obsessed or even OCD if I kept to my schedule. So, I had to get up and buy the ingredients earlier today and cook when I got home. I made sure I chose recipes that didn’t have a million steps to them. I wanted something simple, wholesome, and something that sounds good. To me, at least.

They call it prickly pear for a reason. Probably because it comes off of a cactus. 

The main meal is a dish called zom. I laughed at the name, because it reminded me of gom. As in the gom sandwiches I used to eat as a child. (Most other people call it Sloppy Joes, but in areas of southern Indiana, and especially in and around Columbus, IN, where there was quite a large German population, the name gom was more prevalent. I wrote a linguistics paper about it when I was in college.) Anyway, zom with a Z is a stew made of slow-cooked beef and greens (I used collard greens, but I’m sure any greens would do. I almost went with dandelion greens or Swiss chard. The recipe called for spinach because for some reason they thought it would appeal to an American palate. Whoever wrote that must have never been to the South.) I also added onions, one can of diced tomatoes, a little bit of tomato paste, some pepper, and two tablespoons of peanut butter. (To me, peanut butter is the key ingredient in West African cooking.) It’s all simmered for another half an hour. I served it on a bed of couscous, but you could also use rice.

Zom, which actually means "I'm so full I can't move." Ok, I just made that up. 

My bread recipe was a little different this time. Normally, I make something that uses some kind of flour as a base, but this time I chose to make these corn muffins since I thought it would go better with the zom. I was a little skeptical of the recipe: it called for corn, baking powder and salt. And I thought, “Well, you know, there are a lot of bread recipes using corn flour, and this is essentially the starting block for that, right?” Since fresh corn isn’t in season, I just bought a can of organic sweet corn. I used my mortar and pestle to smash it up a bit before mixing in the baking powder and the salt. Then I put this mixture in a muffin pan and baked it for 20-25 minutes. First of all, it didn’t really hold together much. Maybe I needed to save some of the juice, or add a bit of milk to the mixture. Second of all, I could’ve skipped on the salt, or at least not added as much as the recipe called for. The consensus was that it was just too salty. It helped by mixing it in with the zom stew. It almost makes me wish I went ahead and made the beignets. 

Super salty corn "muffins" that I wished were actually beignets. 

Finally, I was looking for a side dish, something with fruit in it. I found a recipe for a guava fruit salad. Well, I didn’t find guava where I normally shop, although I’ve seen it there in the past. But I did find prickly pears. I’ve never had prickly pears, and didn’t really know much about them. I did find out that they are mostly grown in Mexico, Central-South America, as well as other countries along the Mediterranean and elsewhere. So, no, it’s probably not something Cameroonians eat a lot of, but oh well. I did also buy a couple of mangos and mix the two fruits together. I drizzled a honey-water mixture over the fruits along with some lime juice. Then I mixed in the coconut flakes. I thought it was really good, except that the prickly pear is full of seeds that are edible, but its texture says otherwise. Overall, I liked it. But there is a reason why they call it prickly pear: either wear gloves or hold the outside with a towel -- there are tiny little barbs that embed themselves in your skin and feel like a splinter. As I found out the hard way. 

If you can get past the texture, the flavors are amazing.

Today, I took the kids shopping with me, and I although it usually takes much longer to get everything done than it would if I were by myself, I’ve found it’s a little easier to do if I’m engaging them in what I’m doing, rather than just dragging them behind me. They get bored, and that’s when they start acting up. We talked about the fruit and where it comes from, and in-season vs. out-of-season. And why you shouldn’t buy a package of meat if it’s leaking blood. And why this tiny box of really good cereal costs $5 and this gigantic box of crap cereal costs $2. And how there are labels on packages that tell what the ingredients are, and if most of the ingredients are scientific names, then you probably shouldn’t be eating it. And about the basic layout of a grocery store, how the dairy section is always in the back in order to make you walk through the store looking at other things to buy. Going grocery shopping with the kids can be a great learning experience for them if you make it that way. Although I sometimes regret it, I fully encourage them to ask questions and to question everything. My daughter (age 7) asks questions like “Are there seeds which you cannot eat? Do all fruits and vegetables have seeds?” and my son (age 4) asks questions like “What would happen if you threw a pickle in a lake? What would happen if you threw cheese in a volcano?”  I did say question everything, didn’t I? 

The summary of my Easter Saturday. So good, today should've been called Good Saturday. 

Up next: Canada

CAMEROON: MUSIC AND DANCE

There are many ethnic groups in Cameroon, and subsequently many different styles of music that comes out of this area. One of the most well-known styles is makossa. (I first heard this term from the Brazilian singers Charlie Brown Jr and Marcelo D2 who did a song together called “Samba Makossa” – great song, by the way.) It’s more of an urban style that takes its influences from several other pan-Africa genres, such as soukous from Congo, jazz, Latin, ambasse bey (faster paced folk music from Cameroon), and the highlife style from Ghana. Probably the best known makossa performer is Manu Dibanga with his song “Soul Makossa” which rose to international fame back in 1972.

Different areas of Cameroon led to the development of different styles.  Pirogue sailors (those who use a type of traditional fishing boat) around the Douala area are famous for a type of singing called ngoso, which is now often accompanied by various percussion instruments. The Beti peoples around Youndé and points south are known for a style called bikutsi.  Bikutsi utilizes a quick 6/8 time signature and is a sister style to that of the makossa. It’s normally performed at get-togethers such as weddings and funerals. In the 1970s, a few singers added brass instruments to the mix, and it made its way to European audiences for the first time.  The 1980s brought more changes in instrumentation to bikutsi music, and the popularity of television shows and movies helped promote musicians and their music.

Today, there are a lot of grey areas between Congolese soukous, makossa, and bikutsi as the genres add different instruments and blend the styles. Some of the more popular musicians are Petit Pays, Henri Dikongué, and Pasto. The video below is a Henri Dikongué song called "C'est la Vie," and I really like it. 

Percussion instruments still reign as the basis for instrumental music. It stands not only as accompaniment but can also act as the melody as well. The balafon, a curved wooden percussion instrument similar to a marimba is used throughout West Africa. Another instrument you’ll find among Cameroonian traditional music is the mvet. It’s a type of double-sided harp which uses an amplifier made from a calabash (a type of gourd). The mvet is used in certain ceremonies by Beti storytellers and is considered such an important part of these ceremonies (and culture) that it’s thought the mvet was given by God as a means of educating the people. This idea of linking music to spirituality and a “higher level of consciousness” is one that touches almost all religions and spiritual paths throughout the world. (And still, some want to take away music education…)

I actually found several Cameroonian artists on Spotify.  I listened to the album “Traveler” by Vincent Nguini. It’s a great album if you like acoustic guitar with jazz and Latin jazz influences woven into traditional African style, instrumentation, and rhythms. Another album I listened to most of is “C’est la Vie” by Henri Dikongué. Again, it’s much of the same style as Vincent Nguini. I sampled a couple makossa albums from Petit Pays, Jean Pierre Essome, and Moni Bile, all of whom reminded me of various Caribbean music styles but with a definite African rhythm to it. (I almost felt like I needed some good rum. Or something.) I did find some songs by Uta Bella, whose music I really liked. Her music has more of a modern feel to her music, with some traditional and unexpected harmonies. Another female singer I came across is Anne Marie Nzié. Both remind me a little of the music of Angelique Kidjo from Benin. This video is of Paul Simon, whom Vincent Nguini has performed with for many years. 

Dance often takes the same name as the different music genres it accompanies. Cameroon has many different ethnic groups and over 200 different kinds of dances. These dances, for the most part, are often divided into categories based on a variety of demographic factors: age, occupation, social status, sex, among others. Many of these dancers perform for tourists and other social events and ceremonies these days still. When the early European Christians started moving into the area to colonize it, they were so offended by their dances, they not only discouraged it, but in some cases, outlawed it. As a result, several dances died out. After independence, the government did its best at trying to preserve their cultural dances.  Modern popular dance – dances that take place in bars and clubs and similar places – throw out the demographics.  It’s for everyone, mixed company and all. These styles of dances – like makossa, bikutsi, highlife, hip-hop – have also been used as a means of protest and socio-political statements. 

Up next: the food!

CAMEROON: ART AND LITERATURE

Cameroonian art is identified by its tremendous expressionism in almost all aspects of their arts. The most popular of the traditional arts regions tend to come out of the Cameroonian Grasslands. Creating indigo-dyed clothes were an art form designated to the elite. These cloths were covered in various designs that carried certain meanings. They utilized local symbolism on masks and other everyday items as well. 

One art form that is prevalent in Cameroon is the tapestry crochet. This is a way of taking yarn or felt and weaving them into bags, hats, sweaters, blankets, etc. It’s actually becoming a popular art in the US; I know several people who crochet and knit (not me, I have too many hobbies as it is.)

Other art forms found in Cameroon would be woodworking, clay sculptures, and stone work. Most of these kinds of arts can be found as home wares (tables, chairs, etc), commercially sold art, and for religious purposes.

Of course, painting has also been important to the art scene, and many of the techniques were introduced and taught by the French. I came across the paintings of Angu Walters, an artist from the city of Bamenda.  I really like his artwork; it’s very striking with its bright colors and geometric shapes and quasi-symmetry. In fact, at first glance, even amateur art appreciation students like myself sees his work as an African Picasso.  My favorite by far is one called “The Drummer and the Flutist.”

I had mentioned in an earlier post that a Bamum sultan had created and developed their own alphabet toward the end of the 1800s that they used to write down local customs and laws. Soon afterwards, the Germans came into the country, and although German may not be spoken much today in Cameroon, they did leave their lasting impression on its literature. Many of the first books were written in German as well as local languages, although Jean-Louis Njemba Medou is often credited with writing the first novel in 1932.  The works that were written before this were based in politics and law.

After the country was divided between the French and the British, the national languages obvious changed with this as well.  The first works written in French started to come out in the 1920s and 1930s, most notably with a set of short stories written by Isaac Moumé Etia. And some writers like Louis Pouka Mbague had a very amorous relationship with its colonizing country, France.

There was a second generation that emerged, whose main focus centered mostly around the lack of socio-economic progress (especially right after independence) and condemning the war-ridden changes in power-hungry regimes that plague much of Africa. Among the leaders of this movement were Mongo Beti and Ferdinand Oyono and others. Many women made their name in Cameroonian literature as playwrights, novelists, and poets. Among the more familiar names are Thérèse Kuoh Moukouri, Rabiatou Njoya, Brigitte Tsobgny, Léonora Miano, and Calixthe Beyala.

Up next: music and dance

CAMEROON: HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

Cameroon is one of the countries that celebrate both Christian and Muslim holidays throughout the year.

New Year’s Day.  January 1. This marks the beginning of a new year, and for most people, this is spent with friends and family, eating large meals and celebrating with music and dance. Cities will decorate and get ready for city-wide celebrations, everyone making vows to make the coming year a better one than the previous one.

Independence Day.  January 1. Cameroon declared independence from France in 1960. (A year later, the British Southern Cameroons joined the rest of the country.)  It is usually a time for large celebrations, which include music and dance from different areas of the country.  Parades march through the streets and politicians, including President Paul Biya will make appearances and give a speech or two. Of course, it’s also on the same day as New Year’s Day, so there is certainly a lot to celebrate around this time of year.

Prophet’s Birthday.  Varies. Also called Mawlid, this celebrates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. Because of the number of Muslim followers in Cameroon, the government declared Mawlid as a public holiday. It’s a day of large celebrations, parades, and huge feasts with special foods and drinks prepared. Family and friends gather for these festivities, and may also visit their mosque for special prayers as well.

Youth Day.  February 11. This holiday celebrates the youth of Cameroon and helps to promote activities that teach the skills necessary in adulthood. Different youth organizations in all fields – sports, technology, business, academia, the arts – come out and participate in parades and community festivals. A push towards social justice and non-violence is a common theme.

Good Friday.  Varies. This is the Christian holiday marking the day when they believe that Jesus Christ was hung upon a cross in a crucifixion where he died there. Many churches hold Good Friday services. Another tradition that is popular in Cameroon (as well as other countries) is to make hot cross buns on this day.

Easter.  Varies.  In Cameroon, Easter is a time where many children receive baptisms and many take their first communion.  It’s also a time where the commercialism of it thrives as well: people buying eggs, chocolates, new clothes, and foods for upcoming feasts with family and friends. For the many Christians in Cameroon, the days starts off with special services at church to celebrate their belief that this is the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, after having died from crucifixion just two days prior.

Labour Day.  May 1. This holiday created to celebrate works and strides in labor history is celebrated with a very large parade that marches through the streets of Youndé.

Ascension. Varies.  This Christian holiday follows the story that 40 days after Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter, he ascended into heaven. In Cameroon, many Christians (and especially Catholics) attend special church services held on this day, some starting as early as 6am!

National Day.  May 20. There are several dates of importance when it comes to Cameroon’s independence.  However, May 20 used here for National Day is when Cameroon’s first president Ahmadou Ahidjo, abolished the former government and created a new one for the unified country in 1972.   There is a large parade with music and dance marching down decorated streets and even the current president, Paul Biya, usually makes an appearance.

Eid al-Fitr.  Varies. This holiday celebrates the end of Ramadan, the month-long fast. People celebrate by having a great feast shared with family and friends, and everyone buys new clothes, and children receive gifts. It’s also a day filled with games, music, plays, and other amusements, and kids are allowed up stay up late to participate in the festivities.

Assumption.  August 15. Cameroon’s Catholics celebrate the day of Assumption, the day in which it is believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, ascended into heaven. While technically it is listed as a public holiday, most government offices and schools remain open for the day.

Unification Day.  October 1. This is the day in which the British Southern Cameroons gained independence from Britain and subsequently joined Cameroon (which gained its independence a year earlier). A large parade kicks off the celebration, and then the rest of the time is spent surrounding various sports activities. There is a 40-km marathon (a little less than 25 miles) held every year, as well as canoe racing and wrestling – both of which are important to the Bakweri culture. And of course, you can’t forget soccer.

Eid al-Adha.  Varies. Celebrated at the end of the hajj, this three-day celebrated is shared by Muslims around the world. It’s also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice, with its basis from the story of Abraham willing to sacrifice his only son simply because God asked him to. Nowadays, no one asks you to sacrifice your children (or at least, no one SHOULD ask you that), but instead they substitute a cow or sheep and divide the meat between themselves, their family, and the needy.

Christmas Day.  December 25. Christmas is celebrated in a big fashion, and (probably) almost always includes really church sermons that include a lot of singing. Afterwards, people travel from home to home of friends and family, eating and drinking their way around. People wear their best clothes, decorate their homes, and exchange small gifts as well.  It is such a huge holiday that even non-Christians get caught up in the festivities as well.

Up next: art and literature

CAMEROON: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

The only thing I really knew about Cameroon before doing this was that its name came from the Portuguese’s term for the area, Rio dos Camarões, or River of Shrimp.  Although, it has always made me wonder. The word camarões, meaning shrimp (plural), is pronounced roughly /ka-ma-roe-esh/, yet the word for shrimp (singular), camarão, is pronounced /ka-ma-rown/. The singular word is by far closer to the name of the country than the word in plural. Well, anyway, I’ve pondered this for the past seven or eight years. (Yes, sadly, it’s true. These are the sorts of things I think about on my 45-minute commute to and from work.)

Camaroon is located on the Atlantic side of the African continent right in the bend (where I always think where South America broke off of). It’s surrounded by the countries of Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea and lies on the Bight of Bonny and Bay of Guinea. The capital city is Yaoundé, which lies inland a bit and has about 1.4 million people. However, the largest city is the coastal city of Douala with about 2 million people.

The original peoples were Baka (Pygmies), and then the Bantu migration spread into this area as well.  The Bamum people actually developed their own writing system, a feat not often found with many peoples. There are a myriad of indigenous languages in Africa, and many of these are spoken-only languages, so what the Bamum people did was unique in my opinion. I certainly don’t know if they were the first, but I certainly doubt they’re the only ones. The Bamum script from an amateur point of view appears to be a mix of Greek, Arabic, and Runes.

In the 1880s, the German Empire took control of the area and created the colony called Kamerun, but after WWI, it was divided between the British (called British Cameroons) and the French (called French Cameroun). The British kept control of their colony from neighboring Nigeria, and when conflicts started to arise because of this, they were faced with the decision of whether to join French Cameroun or unite them with Nigeria. In 1960, French Cameroun broke away from France and declared its independence. A year later, British colony of Southern Cameroons joined them.

Cameroon has been described as “Africa in miniature” for representing all of Africa’s climates and landscapes in one country. It has a coastal region with rainforests, savannas and deserts, all the way up to mountainous regions. Some of the coastal forests are considered some of the wettest places on earth. The southern areas lie on a set of plateaus and include some of the country’s most fertile soil. Cameroon does have its own active volcano, Mount Cameroon (the highest mountain in West Africa), which has left the area surrounding it scarred with crater lakes. Lake Nyos is one of these lakes which spewed a deadly amount of carbon dioxide enough to kill 1700-2000 people during the summer of 1986. There are two other lakes like this: Lake Monoun about 60 miles away from this one and Lake Kiva in Democratic Republic of the Congo. It’s caused when the gasses from the magma and lava floes rise up and violently mix with the groundwater of the lake. Scientists have been working on ways to control the release of these gasses so that it doesn't cause another disaster like this one, although other violent releases have taken place, just not to the scale of the 1986 incident.

Because Cameroon was controlled by both the British and the French, there are a large number of followers of Christianity; however, like many other African countries, these same followers also still practice their indigenous animist beliefs as well. There is also a smaller but sizable number of Muslims as well.

The official languages of Cameroon are French and English with French being the dominant language. German is no longer used, and there are many local languages and dialects that are also spoken as well, creating the need for a Cameroonian Pidgin English as a lingua franca amongst the peoples (as well as Camfranglais, another pidgin language combining French and English and Pidgin that was popular in the 1970s).

Cameroon, like many other African countries in this region struggles with health and educational aid.  The lack of basic sanitation and clean water in all areas is one factor that leads to a high contract rate of major infectious diseases such as bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, meningitis, and rabies. AIDS is also a problem in Cameroon as well, disproportionately skewing the numbers when it comes to death statistics. Over 16% of kids under five years old are reported as underweight, and there are many women who still die during childbirth.  And there aren’t enough doctors or hospital beds to go around; the village medicine man is still more popular in the rural areas. Only a little over 2/3 of the total population are literate, far more males than females which is a problem given that the overall unemployment rate in the country sits near 30% and almost half of the country (48%) live below the poverty line.

But besides all of that, they are also famous for producing some of my favorite things: coffee, cocoa, cotton, bananas, and oilseeds. Cameroon’s soccer teams are some of the best and many good players have come from Cameroon. The Waza National Park is one of the largest tourist destinations in Cameroon, home to many endangered and protected species such as giraffes, elephants, antelopes and others. Despite some of the dire troubles that plague this area of Africa, they rely on their arts, music and dance to bridge the gap and make life not only bearable but meaningful. And I can already tell from the recipes I found that this will once again leave me speechless (which is bad for a blogger, so I better find some words now…).

Up next: holidays and celebrations