Ethiopian National Day: Battle of Adwa
2016-03-02 | Ethiopian Empire, Ethiopia
Ethiopia celebrates the Victory of Adowa, also known as Battle of Adwa (Adowa or Adua in Italian), every 1st of March every year. The Battle of Adowa that sparked between Ethiopia and Italy on March 1, 1896.
The Victory of Adwa marks this event as a celebration for national unity and progress and sends a real message to the European countries that not all African countries are “for the taking” by ambitious European countries.
Ethiopia celebrates the victory of Adwa by visiting monuments and cemeteries to honor those who perished in the Battle of Adwa. Government officials usually conduct public ceremonies and put wreath especially under the monument of Emperor Menelik II at Menelik Square.
Public officials would usually deliver speeches encouraging the public to enliven the values of Ethiopian and learn from the patriotism of the heroes of Adwa who bravely resisted colonial rule. Since this is a national holiday, most Ethiopians usually stay at home, while some visit at park or attend cultural events.

Ghana Independence Day
2016-03-06 | Ghana, Ghana
The Independence Day of Ghana was officially announced on 6th March, 1957. The people of Ghana were under the rule of the British and finally with lots of struggle the country became free. Ghana was the first Black African country to gain its independence.
The Ghanaian Independence Day is a very important day in the Ghanaian calendar. On 6th March, 2008 the people of Ghana celebrated the 50th anniversary of Ghana’s Independence Day. Hundreds of people gathered at the Newham Town Hall to hear the Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales’s speech, other than Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland, His Excellency Annan Cato, and Councillor Joy Laguda. The national flag was raised as people joined to sing the national anthem of Ghana.Thousands of Ghanaians gathered round the streets to enjoy the Independence Day of the country. The partygoers wrapped themselves in the red, yellow and green national flag adorned with a black star and swayed with the music under the moonlight.
Dancers and drummers from the Ghana National Dance Ensemble traveled with the common people in the streets and danced their way out.
Whole day long, it being a public holiday, workshops, demonstrations, performances are carried out for the people’s amusement, where the Ghanaian people celebrate the end of colonial rule and the dawn of their independence. All sing the national anthem “God Bless Our Homeland Ghana”, which was also adopted on Ghana’s Independence Day. In the evening the skies light up with beautiful fireworks as the people gather to show respect to all the people who fought tirelessly for the Independence Day of Ghana.
