The culture of the Tanzanian people is wonderful and amazing. They mostly prioritize family and religion and they foster a strong sense of community. Immersing yourself in the culture and traditions of Tanzania also means living at the rhythm of the main holidays and understanding what they represent for the population. Regarding handshakes, in Tanzania handshakes are a must, no matter how many people you’re greeting at once. Even if you enter a room or place with 40 people, you are expected to greet each person individually. You should make sure to greet the most elderly first and then go on to greet the youngest people in the place, don’t rush this process since once you rush it’s considered as bad behavior.
Tanzania used to commemorate important historical and political events, such as Independence Anniversary, Union Day and the Anniversary of the Zanzibar Revolution.
Independence Anniversary
This public holiday is always celebrated on December 9th. Tanzanians used to celebrate the end of British rule in Tanganyika (now called Tanzania) in 1961. It is Tanzania’s National Day, a day when the Tanzanian people mark their independence with speeches, parades and flags. Tanzania originally was a German colony, this region had been occupied by the British, Belgians and Portuguese during the First World War to finally be baptized Tanganyika and pass under exclusive British mandate in 1919. With a gradual process of decolonization and under the impulse of the party of JK Nyerere, Tanganyika therefore definitively gained independence in 1961.
Union anniversary
This day is commemorated, complete with flags and parades in traditional dress. Tanganyika and Zanzibar united on 26th April, 1964. This led to the formation of The United Republic of Tanzania under the first president of Tanzania, the late J.K. Nyerere and the late Abeid Karume, the first president of Zanzibar. Since the birth of the new state, the Zanzibar archipelago has enjoyed a particular status and a certain independence and still has its own parliament and a lot of autonomy in internal management.
Anniversary of the Zanzibar Revolution
Every 12 January is a national holiday both in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar as a special day to remember the Zanzibar Revolution that occurred in 1964. It is also the day when Abeid Karume took the office. This day put an end to the constitutional monarchy born in the archipelago after independence from the United Kingdom and allowed the birth of a socialist republic. It was this republic that then joined Tanganyika to create the current United Republic of Tanzania. If you are in Stone Town on January 12, you will be lucky enough to attend the Ngalawa regatta (double-balance Swahili canoes) which takes place in front of the People’s Palace and evocatively celebrates this anniversary.
Religious Holidays
Moreover, religious freedom is a virtue that has contributed to Tanzania’s peace since the nation’s independence. All religious holidays receive equal public recognition. There are many Christian and Muslim religious holidays on the official calendar of Tanzania and some of those religious holidays are:
Christmas Day
December 25 every year is one of the most festive Christian holidays in many countries around the world and Tanzania is among the countries used to celebrate the birth of Jesus especially Christians on this day. This day in Tanzania is a public holiday and it is a day off for the general population, schools and most businesses are closed. People celebrate Christmas by traveling back from the cities to the villages to spend time with their parents and this results in road travel booms from around one to two weeks before/after 25th December. Also during this time it is normal to see people decorating their homes and cities using different materials reflecting this day especially Christmas’s trees.
Easter Day
This is the most important in Christian holy days, Easter in Tanzania is celebrated especially with two holidays on Good Friday and the day after Easter Sunday. The date of Easter changes every year based on the centuries-old calculations that determine the Christian Ecclesiastical Calendar. This means that the date of Easter Sunday can be anytime between the months of March or April. During this time like other important holidays people often used to buy new clothes and prepare special meals for their families.
Ramadan
This is a month-long religious event that is celebrated by Muslims all over the country where during this time, Muslims fast from sun-up to sundown every day for almost 30 days. In areas where the Muslim religion is more deeply rooted as Zanzibar, it is normal to find some restaurants closed and it is a good rule for tourists not to eat in public during this period. Eid al-Fitr, the great festival that marks the end of Ramadan, is an important moment for the population who organize banquets and balls in which you can also participate. If you want to experience the atmosphere and warmth of Eid al-Fitr up close, Zanzibar is the right place.
Eid al-Adha
The most important of all Islamic festivals, is a public holiday in Tanzania. It is a festival of sacrifice, also called Eid al-Kabir, or large festival, is the most important festival of the Muslim religion and corresponds to the tenth day of the last month of the Islamic calendar, therefore like Ramadan also the day Eid changes every year. Commemorating the sacrifice of Ibrahim, ready to offer his son to God, Eid al-Kabir symbolizes faith and sharing for Muslims. This very important anniversary brings together the entire Muslim community in moments of prayer and celebration that last several days. Among the holidays related to the Muslim religion, we also mention Eid-Milad-an-Nabi, which celebrates the birth of Muhammad and corresponds to the twelfth day of the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
Other parties
In addition to those mentioned above, other important holidays dot to the Tanzania calendar includes the Farmers’ Day on August 8th, the Labor Day on May 1st, all Christian and Muslim holidays, January 1st and also the Persian New Year (Mwaka Kogwa ) celebrated the third week of July in Zanzibar and especially in Makunduchi, south of Unguja.
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