Holidays and Festivals in Mozambique

Mozambique has a number of public holidays each year and these are broken up into national and regional holidays. Being such a religiously diverse country, you don’t mind many religions having their holy days officially recognized although the adherents of certain faiths will still observe these days. The number of holidays in a calendar year is somewhat less than in other African countries and is in line with what one would expect in an international setting.

Public Holidays

Mozambique has 9 nationally recognized holidays each year, with all of them being on fixed dates each year.

Fixed dates:

• 1st of January – New Year’s Day.
• 3rd of February – Heroes Day. Commemorates the heroes who fell in the struggle to gain independence from Portugal.
• 7th of April – Womens Day
• 1st of May – Workers Day
• 25th of June – Independence Day. Celebrating the day when Mozambique formally gained independence from Portugal.
• 7th of September – Victory Day. Commemorates the day that independence was initially agreed with Portugal.
• 25th of September – Revolution Day
• 4th of October – Day of Peace and Reconciliation
• 25th of December – Christmas Day

Festivals

Mozambique isn’t well known for its festivals, although with a little effort you can discover some interesting activities. While most of the festivities are music based, there are some smaller performing arts festivals as well.

Some of the more popular festivals include:

• AZGO Festival. This annual music festival normally takes place in May of each year in the capital city Maputo. All types of music are represented along with documentaries and some workshops.
• STRAB festival. Another music festival which takes place in May, STRAB is a rhythm and blues experience which is held in Malongane close to the South African border.
• Independence Day. This public holiday is traditionally celebrated with a variety of festivities ranging from live performances through to traditional dancing. Other cultural events take place as well and this day is characterized by a party atmosphere.
• TAMBO International art camp. Hosted in the city of Pemba, this festival is normally held in July each year and celebrates a variety of the performing arts. This event does at times attract international artists, however the majority are local.
• CHOPI Music festival. Held each year towards the end of July, this musis festival takes place in Quissico. This particular festival is of great interest as it is held to celebrate the traditional music of Mozambique and as such is a really good cultural experience.
• FORR festival. This is a newish festival that has only recently been established and is supposed to cater to rock bands. The dates and venues are not set and do change from time to time, so it is best to check with local providers for details on this.

Religious Holidays

With the various religions all being roughly equal in representation, you will find that each group observe their own religious days. It is worthwhile to be aware of these particular days as this will affect the availability of some services.

James

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Indonesia Outdoor Furniture by James E Harrison