BackgroundKiribati National Calendar Of Events For 2006
December 31st to January 1st New Year’s
Day
On this day people will gather in their respective homes, at a
maneaba (traditional meeting house) or nightclub to celebrate New Year’s
Eve. They will stay awake all night long until 12:00 midnight and onwards
where they will hold prayers and celebrations to farewell the old year and
welcome the New Year. Most of the evening’s activities will include a get
together meal, parties, speeches, singing and indoor games. In Tarawa,
night clubs/Pubs like the Royal Saloon, Captain’s Bar, Lagoon Club and Otintaai
Hotel Lounge Bar would host happy hours. At the struck of 12 mid-night
Champagne toasts are cheered to farewell the old year and welcome the New
Year.
January 2nd New Year Holiday
A
public holiday is declared to welcome a brand new year and people would spent
out the day outdoors. Much of the day’s activities include picnics,
swimming, and partying with family and friends.
March 6th International Women’s
Day
This is a big day for women in Kiribati. Women through out
Kiribati will gather in the maneaba to celebrate the day. The main
activities during this day include a combined Christian church service for women
followed by feasts, local dancing and singing, selling of food and handicrafts
and speeches by government dignitaries.
April 14th Good Friday to April 17th Easter
Monday – Easter Holiday
On the main capital South Tarawa the
celebration will run for 4 days whereas on the outer islands it may run for a
week or even more. The main activities will include church services for
most Christian denominations, feastings, singing and local dancing in church
maneaba. Outdoor sports competitions like soccer, volleyball, basketball,
canoe racing and other traditional sport will be highlight for the holiday.
April 21st National Health
Day
This is a sports day for the people of Kiribati and most would
participate in a one day sport competitions coordinated by the Health
Department. The main sports include soccer, volleyball, softball, boxing,
basketball and cycling. Most of the people would find time to relax and
pursue time to enjoy their hobbies.
July 10th Gospel Day – Christian Churches
Day
The celebration of this day is usually held in the capital South
Tarawa at the Bairiki National Stadium by two major Christian denominations,
Roman Catholics and Protestants. The two major Christian denominations in
Kiribati will hold a combined service which is conducted by one of the heads of
the two churches. The service is followed by a celebration in the
maneaba with local dances, choir, and religious songs performed by different
groups from the two churches.
July 11th in Honor of Independence
Anniversary
The day has been declared a National holiday in honor of
the 12th of July. It is also a day of preparation for the big day in
Kiribati, the12th of July Independence Day celebration. One of the
exciting activities of this day is the Battle of the Bands, and quarter finals
matches for National Soccer, volleyball, tennis, boxing and basketball.
July 12th National Independence
Day
This is a very big event to commemorate the Republic of Kiribati
self-independence from the British Colonial rule on the 12th July 1979.
Every year on July 12th Independence Day is celebrated at the National capital
in Bairiki, South Tarawa. The wake of the celebration on the day is opened
by his Excellency the President of Kiribati. The highlight of the
celebrated event would be the colorful parade followed by sporting events such
as soccer finals, basketball finals, volley ball finals, boxing, tennis, canoe
races, game-fishing tournament, ping-pong, marathons, other local sports, and
local dance competitions. On Tarawa the celebration will last 3 days while
on the outer-islands it may take a week.
July 13th & 14th in Honor of Unimwane
& Unaine (Elderly men & Women) Day
The 13th and 14th of
July has been honored in respect of the Elderly men and Women of Kiribati, and
the celebration of independence still continues throughout the 2 days. On
the second day of independence celebration incomplete sporting events are
continued followed by a Beauty Pageant for the Miss Kiribati. On the third day
(July 14th) will be the National wrestling championship including other
incomplete sporting events, and the finishes of the day will be the prize giving
for all winners in the participating sports and dance competitions.
August 7th Youth Day
The Youth
Day has been declared a National Holiday and it aims at the development of Youth
health in Kiribati. The main highlight of this occasion would be the
sporting competitions, local dancing and singing competitions between youths
from different districts and islands in Kiribati. The main sporting events
would be soccer, volley ball, boxing, tennis and basketball including other
traditional games such as local wrestling and others. Afterwards it is
followed by the Youth beauty pageant.
October 6th World Teachers’ Day
This day has been declared a National Holiday in respect of
Teachers’ in Kiribati as an appreciation for their contributions to the people
of Kiribati in terms of developing human resource which is the country’s most
important resource. The activities of this occasion would be an open day
where people can visit the Kiribati Teachers College in Tarawa. Local dancing,
singing and sporting events will also be part of the day.
November 20th ‘Te Kauki Nanganga’ Opening
of the Underground Caves Day
This mark’s the day when the
underground caves built to shelter the people of Butaritari Island (Northern
island of Kiribati in the Gilbert Group) during WWII were opened after the war
was ended. This is an interesting event celebrated annually on Butaritari
Island. The people of Butaritari would gather under the maneaba where old
men and women would present their interesting stories and experiences of the war
when U.S marines battled the Japanese who took control of the island. The
main activities of day will be hosted in Ukiangang village on Butaritari Island
where there will be feastings, singing, dancing, indoor and outdoor
games.
Dec. 11th Human Rights/Peace
Day
Most people will find time to pursue their hobbies during this
one day holiday. Most would spend the day outdoors relaxing and enjoying
the day picnicking, swimming or going out fishing with their family and friends.
Churches usually have a variety of activities going on in parish maneabas’
enjoying the day feasting, singing and indoor games.
Dec. 25th Christmas Day & Dec. 26th
Boxing Day
The commemoration of the birthday of the Lord Jesus
Christ is another very big event celebrated by the people of Kiribati,
especially by the two major Christian Denomination Churches namely Roman
Catholics and Protestants. The celebration will begin on the Sunday where
people would all attend the Christmas Service and followed by feastings and
series of activities. The main highlighted activities of the day will be a
competition in choir, local dancing, canoe racing and other sporting events such
as soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, boxing and game fishing. The
celebration of Christmas often continues on until after New Year. In
Tarawa people would camp out in the Taiwan Park for more than a week and they
would host their own BBQ feastings picnics and entertaining activities every day
until after Christmas and New Year celebrations has
ended.