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Public Holidays in Nigeria

Everybody likes public holidays, and when I say everybody, I mean everybody. With a capital E.

I mean, show me someone who doesn’t like a day of resting at home doing nothing…

Public Holidays in Nigeria - battabox.com
Did I hear that someone is doing nothing? As in, Wale is just sitting down pressing phone?

Oh, sorry; I forgot that this is Nigeria. The concept of doing nothing existeth not in the dictionary of parents.

Anyways, public holidays in Nigeria are days set aside by the Government to honor and observe occasions. They can be religious celebrations, cultural festivals, historical accomplishments, etc. Some are exclusive to Nigeria alone, while others are global.

Nigerians often look forward to public holidays because of benefits like the suspension of work, schools, and other related activities. Body no be firewood, and few people take this saying as seriously as Nigerians.

In fact, they are always counting down the days between public holidays. And if, peradventure, it manages to fall on a weekend and spills over into a Monday (and Tuesday, sometimes), oh, mama!

List of Public holidays in Nigeria

New Year’s Day

A very self-explanatory public holiday. If you don’t get what it’s about, someone should send you back to the previous year and lock the door behind you.

The first day of every year is a special day for Nigerians. Families go on vacation, and companies give workers a compulsory day off (unless you work at an amusement park or tourist center, in which case…)

Churches and mosques gather to commit the year into the hands of the Lord and so on. The New year is more like a commensal in Biology, feeding off the already ongoing festivities from Christmas.

SEE: Valentine’s Day: Unknown Facts, Myths, and Activities

Good Friday to Easter Monday

Yes, you guessed right! It’s from Friday to Monday. Now you understand why this is probably one of the favorite public holidays in Nigeria.

The government sets the Easter period aside to honor the Christian belief of Jesus Christ dying and resurrecting three days after. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion, and Easter Sunday and Monday mark his resurrection three days later.

This day also marks the end of Lent for Christians after they have completed their 40-day period of fasting, penance, and prayers. The Easter date is not constant, but is decided by the fall of the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. If the full Moon falls on a Sunday then Easter is the next Sunday.

READ ALSO: Best Christmas Gifts for your Parents

Eid al-fitr

Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Fitr as one of their fore holidays in Islam. This marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.

It is a three-day festival, and just like Easter, Eid al-fitr’s date is not constant. The Islamic calendar, which has approximately 354 days each year, determines Eid al-Fitr. Due to the fact that it has eleven days less than the solar calendar, the holiday always falls eleven days earlier than the previous year.

Worker’s Day/Labor Day

Ever heard the saying, “Every dawg has his day”? This is how every government and private worker feels every first of May.

The Government sets aside this day to commemorate the diligence and struggles of workers. May 1st is a general holiday in many countries of the world.

Children’s day (Just for kids)

On the 27th of May, children in all schools, both public and private are rewarded for their diligence in education. Even though if you ask them, most would rather go play PS2 at onile’s place instead of going to school. Am I speaking from experience? Maybe, maybe not.

Notwithstanding, children receive a free day to enjoy themselves. And if it coincidentally falls on Friday, schools will disguise it as a three-day break. Teachers sef no fit come die naa.

HAVE YOU READ: Easy Steps To Become A Good Parent

Democracy day

Democracy day is a public holiday in Nigeria to commemorate the inception of democracy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was formerly celebrated on the 29th of May until June 6, 2018, when it was changed to the 12th of June.

June 12 was formerly “Abiola day” in Lagos, Nigeria, and some western states in Nigeria.

Democracy day is historic in the minds of Nigerians as it marks the beginning of the longest continuous civilian rule since Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule in 1960.

Eid al-Adha

First, Eid al-Fitr. Secondly, Eid al-Adha. Una Muslims thank you o.

Eid al-Adha is the second Islamic holiday celebrated during the year. It is a larger holiday than the former and it celebrates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God’s command.

It lasts for four days and varies from year to year, shifting approximately 11 days earlier each year (Islamic calendar, remember?). During Eid al-Adha, Muslims observe a lot of activities such as Eid prayers, animal slaughter, charity, social gatherings, festive meals, and gift-giving.

Nigerian Independence Day

“On first October 1960, Nigeria got independence”. That’s the song I used to teach my pupils. Oh, you’re surprised that I wasn’t always a writer? Trust me, you don’t want to know the things I’ve done for money.

Independence day should be regarded as the “King of Holidays” in my opinion because it set the foundation for Nigeria we see today. Citizens adorn themselves in green and white, schools teach students about the history of Nigeria (after the holiday, of course; what were you expecting?) and religious institutions take out time to pray for our beloved country.

SEE ALSO: Nigerian National Anthem: All You Need to Know

Christmas Day

Jingle bell, Jingle bell, Jingle all the way, la la la, la la la la, la la la la la…” I don’t know the rest.

Christmas is a Joyful time, a season of love, and an international holiday. Celebrated on the 25th of December, it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas spirit goes on for days and taps into Boxing day and New year.

It is a very generous public holiday in Nigeria that infects everyone with a sharing and happy mood. As a young boy, I was always anticipating the chin-chin that comes with Christmas.

If you stayed in Kaduna, you must know how important this is

Christmas might be a Christian holiday, but everyone enjoys it. The only ones who might detest Christmas are the chickens, due to the tasty role they play in the celebration.

Boxing Day

It took me (and probably several others) an embarrassingly long while to figure out that Boxing Day has nothing to do with actual Boxing.

Instead, the name comes from the practice of unboxing Christmas gifts, which is the day before. Christians would probably try to lay claim to Boxing day as a Christian tradition, but it isn’t.

Other days mistaken for Public holidays in Nigeria

  1. Valentine’s Day – February 14th
  2. Ash Wednesday – February 22nd
  3. Women’s Day – March 8th
  4. Mothering Sunday- March 19th
  5. Father’s Day- 18th June
  6. Your Birthdays – Doesn’t everyone want a free day on their birthdays?
  7. Mother’s Day – Every two weeks (you know I’m not lying)
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