Day Of Trees
The Day of Trees is a holiday that’s observed in Colombia annually on April 29th. This day is essentially Arbor Day—a holiday observed by many countries around the world. However, in the South American country of Colombia, the holiday has additional significance. This is because environmental issues in this country are particularly acute.
Colombia (Observance)Deforestation of the rainforest and climate change are negatively impacting the people of this country more each year. So the citizens of Colombia have taken it upon themselves to spread the word about the importance of trees and how crucial it is for people to plant trees.
The History of the Day of Trees in Colombia
Arbor Day was first established in the United States by J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska City, Nebraska, in 1872. This holiday soon spread across the continental United States, and by the 1920s, every U.S. state had created an Arbor Day holiday.
Not long after, Arbor Day was celebrated in Colombia, South America, but it was observed on October 12th, not April 29th. It wouldn’t move to April 29th until 1941. This is also when the holiday was renamed the Day of Trees in that country.
Interesting Facts About Colombia
We have discovered quite a large treasure trove of facts about Colombia, so we decided to go over some of them below. Let’s take a quick look at them before continuing our discussion on the importance of this holiday.
- Colombia has the highest number of species by area of any country in the world.
- Every day at 6 am and 6 pm, public TV and radio stations in Colombia have to play the national anthem.
- Elders are deeply respected in Colombia.
Observing the Day of Trees in Colombia
This holiday is observed mainly by planting trees, educating people about the importance of planting trees, and informing people about the effects that illegal logging has on the environment.
It’s also a day when some groups work to help South American farmers avoid the practice of slash-and-burn farming that’s prevalent in Colombia and other South American countries.
Colombia (Observance)
