Public holidays in Tuvalu

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The following are public holidays in Tuvalu. [1]

DateEnglish name Tuvaluan name
1 JanuaryNew Year's DayTausaga Fou
Second Monday in March Commonwealth Day
moveable in autumn Good Friday
moveable in autumn Holy Saturday
moveable in autumnEaster
moveable in autumn Easter Monday
Second Monday in MayGospel DayTe Aso o te Tala Lei
Second Saturday in June
(can vary if appointed differently)
King's Official Birthday
First Monday in August National Children's Day Aso Tamaliki
1 October (public holiday continues 2 October) Tuvalu Day
Second Monday in November Heir to the Throne's Birthday
25 December Christmas Day Kilisimasi
26 December Boxing Day

Also, the regions observe the following regional holidays: [2]

DateAtoll/IslandNameRemarks
8 January Nanumea Te Po o TefolahaThe day Nanumea embraced Christianity brought by the London Missionary Society through Samoan pastors. [3]
11 February Nukufetau Te Aso o TutasiHonors the Tutasi school.
16 February Nui Bogin te Ieka (Day of the Flood)Commemorates the Tsunami that struck the island on that day in 1882. [4] [5]
15 April Nanumaga Aho o te Fakavae
23 April Funafuti Te Aso o te Paula (The day of the bombing) [6] Commemorates the day during the Pacific War (World War II) when 10 to 20 people took refuge in the concrete walled, pandanus-thatched church from a Japanese bombing raid. [6] Corporal Fonnie Black Ladd, USMCR, persuaded them to get into dugouts, then a bomb struck the building shortly after. [7] [8]
moveable in May Nukulaelae Aso o te Tala LeiIsland-specific Gospel Day.
17 September Niutao Te Aso o te Setema
21 October Funafuti Cyclone DayCommemorates Cyclone Bebe's destruction of Funafuti in 1972. [9] [10]
25 November Vaitupu Te Aso Fiafia (Happy Day)Commemorates 25 November 1887 which was the date on which the final instalment of a debt of $13,000 was repaid to H. M. Ruge and Company. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuvalu</span> Country in Oceania

Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands, northeast of Vanuatu, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna, and north of Fiji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Tuvalu</span>

The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians, so the origins of the people of Tuvalu can be traced to the spread of humans out of Southeast Asia, from Taiwan, via Melanesia and across the Pacific islands of Polynesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaitupu</span> Atoll and one of nine districts of Tuvalu

Vaitupu is the largest atoll of the nation of Tuvalu. It is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees east. There are 1,061 people living on 5.6 square kilometres with the main village being Asau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanumea</span> Atoll and one of nine districts of Tuvalu

Nanumea is the northwesternmost atoll in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu, a group of nine coral atolls and islands spread over about 400 miles (640 km) of the Pacific Ocean just south of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Nanumea is 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) with a population of 512 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niulakita</span> Reef island and one of the nine districts of Tuvalu

Niulakita is the southernmost island of Tuvalu, and also the name of the only village on this island. Niulakita has a population of 34. The residents of Niulakita have moved to the island from Niutao. Niulakita is represented in the Parliament of Tuvalu by the members of the constituency of Niutao.

Sir Toaripi Lauti was a Tuvaluan politician who served as chief minister of the Colony of Tuvalu (1975–78), as the first prime minister following Tuvalu's independence (1978–1981) and governor-general of Tuvalu (1990–1993). He was married to Sualua Tui.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nui (atoll)</span> Atoll and one of nine districts of Tuvalu

Nui is an atoll and one of nine districts of the Pacific Ocean state of Tuvalu. It has a land area of 3.37 km2 and a population of 610.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nukulaelae</span> Atoll and one of nine districts of Tuvalu

Nukulaelae is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu, and it has a population of 300. The largest settlement is Pepesala on Fangaua islet with a population of 300 people. It has the form of an oval and consists of at least 15 islets. The inhabited islet is Fangaua, which is 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) long and 50 to 200 metres wide. The easternmost point of Tuvalu is Niuoko islet. The Nukulaelae Conservation Area covers the eastern end of the lagoon. A baseline survey of marine life in the conservation zone was conducted in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nukufetau</span> Atoll and one of nine districts of Tuvalu

Nukufetau is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu. The atoll was claimed by the US under the Guano Islands Act some time in the 19th century and was ceded in a treaty of friendship concluded in 1979 and coming into force in 1983. It has a population of 597 who live on Savave islet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tepuka</span> Island in Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu

Tepuka is an island eighteen kilometers west of Fongafale, in the northwest of Funafuti, the main atoll of the Oceanian nation of Tuvalu. Te puka, or Pouka, is the name of a tree - Hernandia peltata.

Lake na is an islet of Nanumea atoll, Tuvalu. Nanumean traditions describe Lakena as being formed when sand spilled from the baskets of two women, Pai and Vau, when they were forced off Nanumea by Tefolaha, the Tongan warrior who became the ancestor of the people of Nanumea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temotufoliki</span> Islet in Nanumea atoll, Tuvalu

Te Motu Foliki is an islet of Nanumea atoll, Tuvalu. It is a small uninhabited islet, which Nanumean traditions describe as being formed when sand spilled from the baskets of two women, Pai and Vau, when they were forced off Nanumea by Tefolaha, the Tongan warrior who became the ancestor of the people of Nanumea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fale, Tuvalu</span>

Fale is an islet of Nukufetau, Tuvalu. The traditional history of Nukufetau recalls that in order to protect the atoll from raiders from Tonga, Lagitupu and Laupapa, two aliki (chiefs) protected Fale. Lagitupu and Laupapa created a trap at a place still called Tututekolo, which was beside a path which led to the beach, where they would surprise the raiders and spear them or split their skulls with an axe made from shells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motulalo</span>

Motulalo is the largest islet of Nukufetau, Tuvalu. The traditional history of Nukufetau recalls that in order to protect the atoll from raiders from Tonga, Tauasa, an aliki (chief), was given Motulalo. Tauasa would pull up coconut trees and throw them at the raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savave</span>

Savave is a village and islet of Nukufetau, Tuvalu, which is on the lagoon side of Fale islet. It is also the name of the small village on the island. In the late 19th century, after the coming of the missionaries, the people of Nukufetau lived on Fale islet before shifting to Savave which is on the lagoon side of the Fale settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Tuvalu</span> Overview of and topical guide to Tuvalu

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tuvalu:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funafuti</span> Atoll and one of nine districts of Tuvalu

Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people, and so it has more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide. The average depth of the Funafuti lagoon is about 20 fathoms. With a surface area of 275 square kilometres (106.2 sq mi), it is by far the largest lagoon in Tuvalu. The land area of the 33 islets around the atoll of Funafuti totals 2.4 square kilometres (0.9 sq mi); taken together, they constitute less than one percent of the total area of the atoll. Cargo ships can enter Funafuti's lagoon and dock at the port facilities on Fongafale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuvaluan mythology</span>

Tuvaluan mythology tells stories of the creation of the islands of Tuvalu and of the founding ancestors of each island. While on some of the islands there are stories of spirits creating the islands, a creation story that is found on many of the islands is that te Pusi mo te Ali created the islands of Tuvalu; te Ali is believed to be the origin of the flat atolls of Tuvalu and te Pusi is the model for the coconut palms that are important in the lives of Tuvaluans. The strength of this belief has the consequence that Moray eel are tapu and are not eaten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paopao (canoe)</span>

A paopao, is the name used by the Polynesian-speaking inhabitants of the Ellice Islands for their single-outrigger canoes, of which the largest could carry four to six adults. The large double-hulled sailing canoes had ceased to be constructed in the Ellice Islands some time before contact with Europeans.

References

  1. "Public Holidays Act". Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute. 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  2. Lalua, Silafaga (3 January 2007). "Island special public holidays". tuvalu-news.tv. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  3. Te Po o Tefolaha
  4. Sotaga Pape (1983). "Chapter 10 – Nui". In Laracy, Hugh (ed.). Tuvalu: A History. Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Government of Tuvalu. pp. 74–75.
  5. "Nowhere to run. Tuvaluans consider their future after Tropical Cyclone Pam". Report from International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  6. 1 2 Latif, Justin (26 April 2024). "Te Aso o te Paula: Tuvalu community remember WWII bombing attack". Pacific Media Network. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  7. Ladd, Fonnie Black (2001). The Wholesale Rescue. Valley Farm Publications (January 1, 1986).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. Melei Telavi, Tuvalu A History (1983) Ch. 18 War, U.S.P./Tuvalu, p. 140
  9. Resture, Jane (17 May 2004). "Tuvalu and the hurricanes" . Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  10. "Funafuti natives celebrate Hurricane Bebe". tuvalu-news.tv. 23 October 2006. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  11. Kalaaki Laupepa (1983). "Chapter 11 – Vaitupu". In Laracy, Hugh (ed.). Tuvalu: A History. Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Government of Tuvalu. p. 82.