Liberation Day

Liberation Day is a national holiday, meaning no school for me.  Because Liberation Day falls on the 4th of July, it was a double holiday for me.  Liberation Day celebrates the day 24 years ago when the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) Army stopped the Genocide Against the Tutsi.  It is a time to reflect on the past, present and future of Rwanda.

I was told that there would be a big celebration at the stadium, and I was not disappointed.  Even though I arrived early, all of the stadium seats were filled, and the only available room was standing or sitting on the ground with the local children; I chose the latter.

The ceremonies began with a parade of the students from some of the local schools.

After the students came the various town guilds, including the moto taxi drivers, driving their motorcycles.  

They were followed by my favorite, the bicycle taxi drivers.  Notice the ample, spongy and comfortable seats on the back of the bicycles for carrying passengers and cargo.

After all the processions, there were speeches.  And, then, the entertainment began.  Because Rwandans always dress extremely fashionably and I was wearing blue jeans on the bad advice of my Rwandan friend, Olivier, I did not sit with the honored guests, so I never got to see the front of the entertainers, only their backs, which is why all of the photos are of backs.

We all paused and listened intently as the President gave a sober radio address to the country in Kinyarwanda.  Then the dancing resumed.  Some of the dances reenacted scenes from the genocide (hiding in forests, running and dying), as well as the dramatic liberation by the RPF troops.  And, there was fabulous drumming.

The women’s dresses are called umushanana. They are typical Rwandan traditional dress, now worn for formal occasions.  As you can see, they are quite colorful and beautiful.  They consist of a long, full skirt usually with an elastic waist, as well as a long sash.  On top a blouse (usually short-sleeved, though I have seen some tight long-sleeved tops) is worn.  It reminds me of a sari, but the midriff is covered. When the women dance in these elegant dresses, the dancing is particularly graceful and mesmerizing.

It was a fun and interesting day and the perfect way to celebrate.