Unity Day
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Friday december 22, 2023
Secular holiday : Accord signed on December 22, 1987, by President Robert Mugabe and the late Joshua Nkomo, establishing a truce between the two rival political parties (ZANU & ZAPU). Paid holiday when falling on Saturday or Sunday
Christmas Day
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Monday december 25, 2023
Catholic or protestant : Since pre-historic times in Europe, festivities (bonfires, offrerings) were marking the beginning of longer hours of daylight with fires and ritual. The Roman festival of Saturnalia lasted several days in December (gambling and offerings). Germanic tribes also celebrated mid-winter (drinking and rituals). The Bulgarian (with Koleduvane) and the Polish (with Gwiazdka) perpetuate this tradition. Jesus of Nazareth was probably born in springtime (Reformists favour autumn). But in the 4th century, December 25th was chosen for the celebration of his birth by Pope Julius I (Bishop Liberus is also mentioned in 354 A.D.). Thus, a Christian element was introduced in the long-established mid-winter festivals. Before 1582, the Papal States and other Italian city states celebrated New Years Day on Christmas Day.
Boxing Day
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Tuesday december 26, 2023
Secular holiday :
New Year's Day
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Monday january 1, 2024
Secular holiday : The world's most widely celebrated holiday, New Years was set on January 1 by Julius Caesar because that was the date the Roman consuls took over their duties. Paid holiday when falling on Saturday or Sunday
School holidays
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Monday january 1, 2024
School holidays : Https://www.zim.gov.zw
official calendar gazetted by the Ministry of Education
Teaching languages: English
schools closed Saturday & Sunday
school uniforms required
We carry confirmed dates till Jan 2024; Further dates are projected dates based on previous years
Please note that authorities may take last-minute decisions; please double-check if this information is vital to you
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Christmas holidays (end)
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Monday january 8, 2024
School holidays :
Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day
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Wednesday february 21, 2024
Secular holiday :
Mid-term holiday (beginning)
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Thursday february 29, 2024
School holidays :
Mid-term holiday (end)
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Sunday march 3, 2024
School holidays :
Good Friday
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Friday march 29, 2024
Catholic or protestant : The First Council of Nicaea (a gathering of bishops in the early days of Christianity) wanted to find a day to commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. This commemoration had to be linked to Jewish holiday traditions, since the last supper of Christ was believed to be a Jewish Passover meal. But the Jewish calendar is based on lunar and solar cycles, so the Easter celebration had to follow the same calendar.
Holy Saturday
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Saturday march 30, 2024
Catholic : Paid holiday
Easter
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Sunday march 31, 2024
Catholic or protestant : Paid holiday
Easter Monday
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Monday april 1, 2024
Catholic or protestant : In the year 325, the Council of Nicée determined a date fo Easter. Full Moon would fall the 14th day of a moon month (1). Easter would be marked by the dominical letter(2)and the epactus(3). With the establishment of the equinox ne variatur on March 21, algorithms where elaborated to attribuate a date for Easter whatever the year.
Time between two consecutive new moons: 20 days 12 hours 44 minutes 2.8 - Gives a letter code for the year's calendar Age of the moon on January 1st, minus one unity, 0 being the new moon's age.
Autumn holiday (beginning)
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Friday april 5, 2024
School holidays :
End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day)
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Wednesday april 10, 2024
cards/flowers : The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran; a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, a number of other days. Allah desires for you ease; He desires not hardship for you; and that you should complete the period, and that you should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that perhaps you may be thankful [Wikipedia]
Independence Day
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Thursday april 18, 2024
Secular holiday : On this day in 1980, Southern-Rhodesia gained independence from the British, changing the name into Zimbabwe (based on a Shona term for Great Zimbabwe , an ancient ruined city in the country's south-east the remains of which are now a protected site).
· The day marked the end of racial segregation.
· In the ninety year span that Zimbabwe was a colony, it was administered by the British South African Company (BSAC) under the name Rhodesia and the Responsible Government under the name Southern Rhodesia. Both administrative systems were under the British monarchy.
· In 1965, Zimbabwe became autonomous and was led by a white segregationist government after Ian Smith made a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from Britain. This was after the British government had made majority rule a condition for the independence of Rhodesia from Britain.
· Smith followed the UDI by declaring Rhodesia a Republic, which however, did not have international recognition.
· From June 1979, the Republic of Southern Rhodesia was replaced by Zimbabwe-Rhodesia. Lacking international recognition, after about three months, the country was taken back into the hands of Britain, as per the Lancaster House Agreement which was meant to facilitate transition.
· The country once again became a British colony known as Southern Rhodesia.
· In the April 1980 elections, Robert Mugabe, head of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) won the majority and became the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.
Autumn holiday (end)
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Monday april 29, 2024
School holidays :
Labor Day/May Day
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Wednesday may 1, 2024
Secular holiday : Chicago, Saturday May 1st, 1886: 350,000 workers go on strike to call for an 8-hour working day. Industries are paralyzed nationwide. On Monday, as demonstrations go on, the police open fire. On Tuesday, Chicago is again on strike. Following a bomb launched against them, the police shoot again. 12 dead, of which 7 policemen. 8 anarchists will be condemned and executed. In 1889, the Socialist International Movement met in Paris and declared this day international workers' day . The Soviets will follow suit, just as the Nazis. In France, under the Vichy regime (1940-1944), the celebration is renamed Labour Day .
Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA)
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Monday may 6, 2024
Culture : Http://www.hifa.co.zw/ lasts 7 days 2024 edition NOT confirmed
Mothers' Day
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Sunday may 12, 2024
cards/flowers : Mothers day has evolved in many countries in different ways. This is because mothers day has different origins in different countries and therefore occurs on different days in the year.
One school of thought claims that this day emerged from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Mother worship which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods, and Rhea, the wife of Cronus, was held on March 15 to March 18 around Asia Minor. They insist that this custom spread around the world.
Mothering Sunday is the celebration of motherhood in the United Kingdom. It is also known as Mid-lent Sunday, Rose Sunday and Laetare Sunday. It originally comes from the Victorian practice of allowing servants to return home to visit their mothers on this day.
In the United States, Julia Ward Howe (May 27, 1819 - October 17, 1910) was a prominent American abolitionist, social activist, and poet. Howes Battle Hymn of the Republic was first published in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862 and quickly became one of the most popular songs for the Union during the American Civil War. After the war she focused her activities on the causes of Pacifism and womens suffrage. In 1870 she was the first to proclaim Mothers Day, with her Mothers Day Proclamation. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson approved Mothers Day in 1914
Africa Day
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Saturday may 25, 2024
Secular holiday : From 2009 When the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was created in May of 1963, the founding delegates proclaimed May 25, 1963 African Liberation Day (ALD), as the successor commemoration day of Africa Freedom Day.
Fathers' Day
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Sunday june 16, 2024
cards/flowers :