Overview of 2018 Legal Holidays in Rwanda

No matter what the purpose of visiting Rwanda is, if you don't enjoy its colorful festivals, it's a pity to visit this "country of thousands of mountains". In Rwanda, most festivals are held in the north during the summer. You can learn about some of the most prestigious African music on KigaliUP, update your wardrobe after two fashion festivals, watch a high-quality film at the film festival, learn about gorillas and increase environmental awareness at the naming ceremony. Colorful festivals will enrich your trip to Rwanda!

January 1 New Year's Day February 1 National Heroes' Day March 30 Good Friday, also known as Good Friday, is the day when Christian believers commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is the Friday before Easter. According to the Bible, Jesus was crucified at about 9:00 a.m. on the 14th day of the Jewish calendar in 33 A.D. and died at about 3:00 p.m. Jesus only commanded His disciples to remember His death.

April 1 Easter Sunday (the Lord Easter Day) is an important Western festival, which falls on the first Sunday after the full moon of the vernal equinox every year. Christians believe that Easter symbolizes rebirth and hope, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion between 30 and 33 AD. If there is an Easter holiday in the area, it is usually celebrated with Good Friday. Today, many Easter related folk customs such as the Easter bunny and Easter eggs are not of Christian origin. Jesus only commanded his disciples to remember his own death (Luke 22:19, 20).

April 2 Easter Monday April 7 Genocide Memorial Day (Rwanda Genocide) The Rwandan genocide, also known as the Rwandan Civil War, occurred from April 7, 1994 to mid-June 1994. It was an organized genocide by the Hutu against the Tutsi and Hutu moderates, killing a total of 800,000 to 1 million people, accounting for more than 1/5000 of the world's total population at that time.

May 1 is International Labor Day (International Worker's Day) June 15 Eid al-Fitr (Eid el Fitri) Rwanda Fashion Week in July (Rwanda Fashion Week) July 1 Independence Day Independence Day (July 4) Liberation Day (Liberation Day) August 15, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary/Assumption Day (Assumption of Mary / Ferragosto) September Rwanda Culture and Fashion Week December 25 Christmas Day December 26 Boxing Day

Kigali UP Music Festival

Rwanda Film Festival The Rwanda Film Festival is also known as "Hillywood". During the festival, films from all over the world can be screened in Rwanda. The film festival is so named because of the mountains in Rwanda. In addition to being shown in Kigali, the capital, these films will also be taken to rural towns in Rwanda, so that everyone can experience the charm of the films. Nowadays, filmmakers from all over the world come to Rwanda every year to compete for the "silverback gorilla"-Rwanda's "Oscar".

Special attention should be paid to this: Rwandans are taboo to talk about the Holocaust and ethnic divisions. Therefore, when interacting with Rwandans, do not ask about their ethnicity and avoid talking about the Holocaust. Moreover, the last Saturday of every month in Rwanda is a voluntary labor day, which is called "Umuganda" in Rwandan, which means contribution. From 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. that day, all adults are required to participate in various voluntary labor including cleaning, weeding, and community activities. All shops are closed and vehicles are prohibited on the road. If someone evades voluntary labor without justifiable reasons, they may be arrested immediately. If driving on the road without a special pass, they will be stopped by traffic police and immediately arranged for labor.