Kindiki Declares Dec 27 & Jan 2 Public Holidays.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has made two days official holidays, which will give Kenyans more time to celebrate Christmas.
Kindiki told the press on December 22 that the 27th of December and the 2nd of January would be holidays.
He said that Sunday, December 25, and Monday, December 26, listed as holidays on the Kenya holiday activities calendar, would be observed on December 27.
The worldwide public holiday of January 1, which happened on a Sunday, was pushed back to Monday, January 2, 2023.
The instruction is consistent with section 4 of the Public Holidays Act, which stipulates that if a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will become a public holiday immediately.
“Where, in any year, a day in Part I of the Schedule falls on a Sunday, then the first succeeding day, not being a public holiday, shall be a public holiday and the first-mentioned day shall cease to be a public holiday,” reads the act in part.
In a statement issued by its CEO, Dr. Habil Olaka, the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) also confirmed the two statutory vacations.
“The Kenya Bankers Association wishes to confirm that Tuesday, 27th December 2022, is a Public Holiday to mark Christmas Day pursuant to section 4 of the Public Holidays Act when a public holiday falls on a Sunday.
"The same will apply to Monday, January 2, 2023, with respect to the new year’s holiday,” read the statement in part.
How Kenyans Celebrate Christmas
Christmas is an important Christian holiday celebrated worldwide.
Christmas is an ideal chance for most city inhabitants in Kenya to visit their families in the countryside.
If you are visiting a city for the first time, such as Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, on Christmas Day, you should not be startled to see the normally crowded streets vacant.
Kenyans typically begin traveling to the village at the start of December to spend the full month there until the New Year’s Eve festivities.
Many individuals consider it unacceptable to not visit their rural homes during the holiday season.
Due to the large number of tourists during this period, public transportation companies typically make a fortune by increasing fares.
Christmas in Kenya provides the opportunity for individuals, particularly in rural regions, to eat special foods that are often considered expensive.
Consequently, it is typical for families to embark on buying sprees a few days prior to the big day. Others reserve their most luscious goats, hens, and cattle for Christmas celebrations.
During this season, millions of gallons of alcohol are also drowned.
In metropolitan regions, individuals travel to pubs and restaurants to enjoy their preferred beverages, whereas in rural areas, locals typically prepare gallons of their local brew, which is consumed when relatives reconnect.
On Christmas Eve, most churches in Kenya perform night vigils to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Some churches even go so far as to dramatize the entire account of Christ’s birth.
Locally known as “Kesha,” the night vigil is highly anticipated by the youth.
Catholic churches customarily ring bells at midnight to commemorate the birth of Christ, while worshippers shout and sing hymns to mark the beginning of the eagerly anticipated day.
Businesses in urban areas are typically decked with Christmas colors and play Christmas carols to excite their clients.
People in the community buy new outfits and employ photographers to capture each day’s significant moments.
This is significant since Christmas is regarded as the finest time for family reunions.
Due to the lengthy Christmas school break, the majority of Kenyan villages circumcise their boys during this time.
Young male initiates in the Bukusu village are led to the river at 3 a.m., where their bodies are plastered with mud – a practice known locally as “khulonga.” The procedure is seen as a form of anesthesia and a method of purifying initiates.
On their way from the river to the circumcision site, the boys are required to dance to the traditional song sioyoya.
As it is regarded to be a taboo, women are prohibited from entering the location. The lads are escorted to their own homes, called locally as “likombe,” where they will remain until they recover.
The majority of initiation ceremonies last between one and two weeks, following which the initiates are given time to rest and recover.
As female genital mutilation is prohibited in Kenya, females undergo alternative kinds of initiation to signify the passage of puberty. Typically, they congregate in specified areas where the older women in the community instruct them on the principles of womanhood.
Best wishes over the holidays!
Kindiki Declares Dec 27 & Jan 2 Public Holidays.
