Namibian Public Holidays at a glance

Namibians love public holidays because one thing is always guaranteed – no school and absolutely no work. Public holidays are a time to sleep in and to relax, as well as spend time with family and friends. But amidst all these, it is the importance of the day that matters.

t is the best time to stand back and to celebrate an occasion, like the anniversary of a historical event (Independence Day) or a religious celebration like Christmas.

New Year’s Day falls on 1 January and marks the start of a new year. It marks the end of New Year’s Eve celebrations and gives many people a chance to remember the previous year. New Year’s Day is said to celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ about eight days after his birth. It is also known as one of the most celebrated days in the year, although South Asian countries celebrate their New Year’s Day in April.

This is the day when Namibia achieved full independence from South Africa in 1990. Independence Day is celebrated to remind Namibians of the long struggle Namibia fought with its rulers to be free. Namibia was invaded in 1884 under the rule of Otto Von Bismarck but after a series of battles, Namibia was able to declare itself an independent nation with Sam Nujoma as its president.

Good Friday is a religious holiday, commemorated and observed primarily by Christians, signifying the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. Calvary is known as a site outside Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified.

This day is a day celebrating of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches. Christians believe, according to scripture, that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead. There are still controversies surrounding the date.

This day is celebrated to highlight the plight of workers in Namibia. In the 1960s and 1970s, workers stood up against inhumane practices enforced against them and because of that, it was declared a public holiday.

This is the day celebrated 40 days after the resurrection of Jesus. Ascension Day symbolises the day when Jesus ascended to heaven.

Cassinga Day is a national public holiday in Namibia remembering the attack of Cassinga at a Swapo base in southern Angola. About 600 Namibians were killed by the South African Defence force in 1978.

Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), presently recognised as the Africa Union (AU). The African Union, comprised of 53 member states, has brought together the continent of Africa to collectively address the challenges it faces, like armed conflict, climate change and poverty.

This is a remarkable day for Namibians where we celebrate those who played a big role in attaining independence. Namibians remember this day as it marks the death of Namibian heroes during the war for Independence.

Human Rights Day is celebrated all over the world. The date was chosen in order to honour the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations.

This is a public holiday because Christians around the world celebrate and rejoice, the birth of Jesus Christ. Millions all around the world celebrate Christmas and later, Santa Claus, Christmas trees and red and green decorations have been included in the celebrations.

Family Day, formerly known as Boxing Day, is traditionally followed after Christmas as a day to receive gifts from salesmen or employers. In Europe, the tradition was to give money and other gifts to the needy, but it is unsure what practice the Namibian community follows on this day.

The Namibian constitution was adopted in 1990 with 71 signatories on this day. The constitution is the finest piece of legislation ever produced by Namibians. It is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state is governed and because of this reason, Namibians celebrate this day.

This day commemorates the sacrifices made by South African youth who in 1976 protested against the inferior quality of their education and demanded the right to be taught in their own language.

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