President’s Day in Botswana
In Botswana, President’s Day is observed on the third Monday in July. Before 2006, it was a two-day holiday that was observed on Monday and Tuesday of the third week in July. However, that changed with the Public Holiday Amendment in 2006. This amendment changed the holiday into a single day.
Botswana (Public holiday)Even so, some traditions are hard to break, and some institutions still observe this day as a two-part day. A prominent institution that still observes it as a two-day holiday is the Botswana Stock Exchange. Regardless of how the holiday is celebrated, the Monday it is observed on is always a public holiday, and people have the day off.
The History of President’s Day in Botswana
In 1966, Botswana achieved independence from Great Britain, and Seretse Khama became the country’s first president. Since then, President’s Day has been celebrated on Monday and Tuesday in the third week of July. Then, in 2006, the Public Holiday Amendment changed the holiday to only the third Monday in July. It has remained on that day ever since.
Observing President’s Day in Botswana
This holiday is observed with a public speech given by the President of Botswana and by other officials. It is also a day off for the general population, so non-essential government offices, businesses, and banks are closed.
There are also flag-raising ceremonies and other events held on this day. On social media, the hashtag #PresidentsDayBotswana is used to spread the word about this holiday. Finally, there are military parades and festivals all across the country.
Botswana (Public holiday)
