Day 16: National Celebrations

01/01/2017.
Day 16 - Week 4

Sights and Sounds

Your big overseas adventure is about to come to an end☹. Before you head back to New Zealand you want to spend the last few days seeing the most famous and important sights in the country. You may also want to join in some of the festivities.

Today is a very special day in the country! It’s a major national holiday and everyone is celebrating! Scroll down to learn more about the national holiday in your country.

Canada – The national day in Canada is called ‘Canada Day.’ It is celebrated on 1 July every year. People in Canada like to celebrate the holiday by getting together with friends, having a meal and setting off fireworks. People usually eat food from the barbecue on Canada Day. Some of the most popular foods are hot dogs, hamburgers, poutine (fries with gravy and cheese), and nachos.  

http://www.familyfuncanada.com/calgary/canada-day-events-in-calgary/ [Canada] http://www.veteranstoday.com/author/rosenstein/page/2/ [Chile]

Chile – The national day in Chile is called the Fiestas Partrias of Chile. It is celebrated on two different days - 18 September and 19 September. The people of Chile love to celebrate their national days by going to watch Chilean rodeos, dancing the cueca (a traditional dance), watching parades and going to barbecues. Food is a very important part of the celebration. Chileans like to eat lots of meat. A popular dish is called pino (a mixture of beef and onion).

Germany – The national day in Germany is called The Day of German Unity. It is celebrated on 3 October each year. Everyone in Germany has the day off from school and work. They usually get together with friends and family to enjoy some delicious food. Some of their favourite foods are sausages, potato salad, and sauerkraut (sour cabbage).

https://thefunnyplace.org/tag/germany-national-day/

Malaysia – The national day in Malaysia is called Hari Merdeka or Independence Day. It is celebrated every year on 31 August. It is a public holiday and the people of Malaysia usually celebrate by having large parades, concerts and events. The military men and women in Malaysia usually participate in the parades. The children in Malaysia usually get dressed up in their best clothes and people eat very traditional Malaysian foods.

http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/borneo-christians-unite-in-prayer-for-malaysias-national-day/31425/5

United Kingdom – There is currently no official national day in the United Kingdom, however, there are many public holidays that people celebrate. They are usually called ‘bank holidays’ because the banks close on those days. The British people love to get together with family and friends on the bank holidays. They will often go to watch a horse racing or greyhound racing on a holiday. They may also get together at a local pub to watch a game of football (soccer) or rugby on the television. Common foods to eat on the bank holidays include English favourites such as fish and chips or pies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07gxm4c

Mexico – The national day in Mexico is celebrated over two days – 15 and 16 September. It is a very special time for the people of Mexico as it represents the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain. The war started in 1810 and ended in 1821. Each year the current Mexican president re-enacts the ‘call for independence’ by ringing a bell. Everyone in Mexico has time off over this period and many spend time with their family and friends. They share special food together like enchiladas, cecinas, and bistec. Some Mexicans will participate in parades and engage in folklore dancing.

https://globein.com/blog/10-need-to-know-facts-about-mexican-independence-day/

South Africa – Freedom Day is celebrated on the 27th of April in South Africa. It celebrates freedom and commemorates the first elections held in 1994 in South Africa where both white and black people were allowed to vote. Prior to 1994, only white people were allowed to vote. Black people had very limited voting rights. On Freedom Day, the people of South Africa celebrate by eating special dishes likes Vetkoek (Fried bread with filling), bobtie (spicy quiche), and peppermint crisp tarts.

http://www.gettyimages.co.nz/event/south-africa-celebrates-freedom-day-635060591

United Arab Emirates – The national day in the United Arab Emirates is celebrated every year on 2 December. It makes the day that the seven emirates (territories) came together in 1972. On UEA National Day people often dress up in green, white, black and red and attend car rallies and dance shows. They will also decorate their homes with banners and attend large firework shows and concerts. It is a huge day of celebration!

http://w.timeoutabudhabi.com/aroundtown/features/28491-uae-national-day

Japan – In Japan, the national day is celebrated on 11 February. It is called ‘National Foundation Day’ and it honours the original founding of Japan and the reign of the first emperor, Jimmu. On National Foundation Day, some people in Japan will gather together to celebrate, however they do not usually have large parties or celebrations. Most people will have the day off of work.

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/02/11/happy-national-foundation-day/

Australia – The National Day of Australia, or Australia Day, is held every year on 26 January. It is a huge event in Australia with most people attending local community festivals, concerts or parties. New Australian citizens are sworn in on the 26th of January and everyone has the day off of work. It is common for people to get together with friends to have a barbecue. Steak and chips are often on the menu!

http://sa.australiaday.org.au/

Activity 1

Imagine that you are visiting on the national holiday of your chosen country. On your blog tell us what you would eat, see and do on that day.

Answers:

I would eat hot dogs and hamburgers. I would see my family, friends and we would watch a movie or let off fireworks.

Activity 2

Create a brand new public holiday for the country.  Use your creativity to come up with a name for the holiday and a short description of how people in the country celebrate the holiday. Do they all get the day off? Do they eat special foods or go to special events to mark the day? On your blog tell us what you do on that day.

Answers:

My public holiday for the country would be called Free. It would be called Free because everybody wouldn't have to go to school or work everyone would just have a day off. But during the day off you would have to spend the day with your family by going out somewhere.

Bonus Activity

In New Zealand our national holiday is on 6 February. It is called Waitangi Day. What do you do to celebrate Waitangi Day? Do you go somewhere special? On your blog tell us what you do on that day.

Answers:

On Waitangi Day the day represents the signing of the Treaty, The Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty was signed on the 6th of February 1840.