Introduction
Africa is a continent full of rich culture and traditions. There are thousands of festivals that take place every year, but some of them attract more attention than others. Here are 10 African festivals you shouldn’t miss in 2017:
The Kenya National Festival
The Kenya National Festival is a public holiday in Kenya, held on 12 December every year. It celebrates the country’s independence and provides an opportunity for Kenyans to celebrate their culture and heritage.
The parade includes traditional dances, music performances by local artists, as well as military bands marching through the streets of Nairobi. There are also exhibitions showcasing traditional art forms such as sculpture and beadwork at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The celebrations conclude with fireworks displays at nightfall over Ngong Road in Nairobi where they began earlier that day with parades from Uhuru Gardens towards City Hall Square before heading back down Ngong Road towards JKIA Airport where they end around 8 pm KST
Togo’s National Day
Togo’s National Day is celebrated on April 27th. The day marks the end of French colonial rule in Togo, and it’s a public holiday in that country. It’s also sometimes referred to as Africa Day because it was on this date in 1960 that African nations first met at a conference hosted by Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah to discuss their independence from European powers.
The Kuilidi Festival
The Kuilidi Festival is a traditional festival celebrated by the Maasai people of Kenya. It is held annually in September, and it’s a celebration of their culture and heritage.
The Kuilidi ceremony takes place after the rains have come and when all animals have been given time to recover from their dry season migrations. The ceremony marks the beginning of another year for both humans and animals alike!
Rwanda’s Umuganda Day
Umuganda is a day of community work, when the whole country comes together to help with development projects. It’s a day of unity and national pride, as well as service and celebration.
In Rwanda, Umuganda means “community work” in Kinyarwanda–the most widely spoken language in the country. For one day each week (Sundays), you’ll find Rwandans getting up early to take part in various projects around their communities–cleaning parks or roadsides, planting trees or gardens–to make sure that everything looks good for visitors coming into town on Monday morning!
Uganda’s Independence Day
Uganda’s Independence Day is celebrated on October 9th, the day the country became independent from Britain in 1962. It’s a public holiday in Uganda and one of the most important celebrations of the year. There are parades, dancing and singing throughout the country as people celebrate their freedom from colonial rule.
Ethiopia’s Timkat Festival
Timkat is a celebration of the baptism of Jesus Christ and it takes place in January every year. It’s one of the most important festivals in Ethiopia, taking place in churches all over the country. The festival begins with a procession carrying an icon representing Jesus Christ to its church where it will be kept until Epiphany (January 19th).
During this time, there are dancing and singing throughout Ethiopia as well as celebrations for children who have completed their first year at school.
Botswana’s Setswana New Year
Botswana’s Setswana New Year is a celebration of the end of the rainy season and the birth of a new year. The festival marks the end of winter and signifies that it’s time to start planting crops again. It takes place on September 24th every year, but if you’re planning on going this year make sure you book your flights well in advance because they sell out quickly!
Tanzania National Day
The Tanzania National Day is celebrated on December 9th, and it commemorates the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The two countries became one in 1964 after gaining independence from Britain.
This day is now a public holiday in Tanzania, but it wasn’t always that way–it was only made so in 2012 by President Jakaya Kikwete (who served from 2005-2015). Before this date was designated as a national holiday, there were other celebrations held throughout the year: Independence Day (November 9th) and Union Day (April 26th). These events were meant to commemorate independence from British rule; however, most people did not know about them because they weren’t widely publicized or celebrated!
South Africa’s Heritage Day and Freedom Day weekend celebrations.
Heritage Day and Freedom Day weekend celebrations.
Heritage Day is celebrated on 24 September, marking the anniversary of the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994. It’s a public holiday that celebrates South African culture and heritage through food, music and dance performances around the country.
Freedom Day marks the day that Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990; it’s celebrated with festivities including concerts by local artists as well as sporting events such as cricket matches at venues like Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town or Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg (where you’ll find plenty of other activities happening too).
There are many festivities in African countries, here are 10 of the most popular ones.
There are many festivities in African countries, here are 10 of the most popular ones.
- National Day (South Africa)
- Heritage Day (Kenya)
- Independence Day/Republic Day (Ghana)
- Uhuru Festival (Zanzibar)
- Eid al-Adha/Bakr Id/Thanksgiving (Morocco) 6..Julho da Praia Festival(Brazil) 7..Rio Carnival(Brazil) 8..Cape Town Jazz Festival(South Africa).
Conclusion
If you’re looking for something new and exciting to experience in 2017, then you should definitely consider visiting one of these 10 African festivals. They are all unique in their own way but all offer something special that will make your trip worthwhile!
