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There are only seven public holidays in socialist
Cuba. Despite, Cuba having a majority of its
citizens of catholic faith, there is no religious
festivals except Christmas; most of them commemorate
the struggle of the people towards freedom in the
1959 revolution.
Christmas festival, ‘Natividad’, celebrated on the
25th of December, has been only been re-established
as a public holiday after the visit of Pope John
Paul in1998.
On the 1st January throughout the world, New Year is
a public holiday. In socialist Cuba Liberation day,
the ‘Triunfo de la Revolucion,’ is celebrated. This
is the day where revolution actually succeeded and
Fidel Castro took power. On the 2nd of January is
celebrated the anniversary of the Victory of the
Armed Forces.
On May 1, the International Labour Day, ‘Dia de los
Trabajadores,’ is celebrated in honour to the
workers.
The days of Rebelliousness are the 26 and 27 July.
For two days, the attack against the Moncada
Barracks in Santiago de Cuba, where 160 rebels with
as leader Fidel Castro, is commemorated.
On October 10, Independence Day, ‘Dia de la
Independencia’, Carlos Manuel Cespedes in 1868,
after freeing his slaves, launched the War of
Independence against the Spanish empire.
There are also other special occasions where
official ceremonies are held in the Republic of
Cuba: on 28th January Jose Marti the father of Cuban
independence was born; on 19th April American and
the Cuban exiles was defeated by the socialist
government and its armed forces at Bay of Pigs; on
the 30th July, the martyrs of the revolution in 1959
are honoured; on the 12th August the Dictator
Machado in 1933 was overthrown and on the 8th
October 1967 Che Guevara was the assassinated. |
