The National Day of Cape Verde is on the 12th September. As stated the 12th September is known as Independence Day in Cape Verde. This day is to commemorate the country’s independence from Portugal (National Day of Portugal) on the 12th September 1975.
National Day of Cape Verde
Likewise in the early 1950s much like the rest of West Africa. Cape Verdeans began to demand greater autonomy from Portugal. This led to the creation of political parties and labor unions that fought for more rights and freedoms. Then came the year of 1956 where Amilcar Cabral founded the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which aimed to achieve independence for both Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
Then in the 1960s the PAIGC launched a guerrilla war against Portuguese rule in Guinea-Bissau (National Day of Guinea-Bissau) and Cape Verde. The war was long and brutal, but it eventually led to the collapse of the Portuguese empire in Africa.
Then in 1974 a military coup in Portugal led to the establishment of a democratic government. This paved the way for negotiations between the Portuguese government and PAIGC. Then on the 12th September 1975, Cape Verde was granted independence from Portugal. Aristides Pereira became the first president of Cape Verde.
See also the National Day of Fiji as well as the National Day of Nauru and the National Day of Bangladesh.
Public Holidays in Cape Verde
Firstly in Cape Verde, there are several public holidays throughout the year. These include:
- New Year’s Day – January 1st
- Heroes’ Day – January 20th
- Carnival Tuesday – date varies
- International Women’s Day – March 8th
- Good Friday – date varies
- Easter Sunday – date varies
- Labour Day – May 1st
- Africa Day – May 25th
- National Day/Independence Day – July 5th
- Assumption Day – August 15th
- All Saints’ Day – November 1st
- Christmas Day – December 25th
- Boxing Day – December 26th
Finally it’s worth noting that some of these holidays, such as Carnival Tuesday and Good Friday.
