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CultureGrams Holiday Focus:
Heroes' Day (Namibia)
Holidays provide a great way to introduce students to the culture and history of a country. "Observe" a world holiday in your classroom by asking students to research the holiday's origins or learn more about a particular aspect of the country.
Namibians observe Heroes' Day on August 26, but the holiday has different meanings for different people. For most Namibians, particularly those of the Owambo ethnic group, this is the day on which they honor those who fought during the country's resistance to South Africa. After World War II, South Africa annexed Namibia, inciting a guerilla campaign by the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) from the 1960s until the 1980s, when South Africa withdrew. For Namibians of the Herero ethnic group, Heroes' Day is devoted to honoring ancestors killed by German colonizers, who tried to exterminate the Herero people after a rebellion in 1904.
World Holidays Featured This Month
Japan - Obon Festival - Mid-August
Obon Festival takes place over several days in mid-August, with dates varying by region. During this time, people take vacations and return to their ancestral homes to welcome visiting ancestral spirits with bonfires.
Argentina - Death of General Jose de San Martin - August 17
Commemorates the general who is known as the Liberator of Peru, Chile, and Argentina for his defeat of the Spanish in 1812.
Gabon - Fete National - August 17
Commemorates Gabon's independence.
Hungary - St. Stephen's Day - August 20
Celebrates the harvest and honors the first king of Hungary.
Slovakia - Slovak National Uprising Day - August 29
Commemorates the 1944 rebellion against the Nazis.
Moldova - Limba Noastra - August 31
Celebrates the proclamation of Romanian as the official language.
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