Day off for New Year’s Day in Papua New Guinea ― Date, History, and Details
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History of Day off for New Year’s Day in Papua New Guinea and How to Celebrate/ Observe It
New Year’s Day is a public holiday in Papua New Guinea and is celebrated on January 1st. It is a day for families to gather together, enjoy traditional foods and music, and to share stories and reflect on the past year. The holiday has roots in the ancient practices of the indigenous Papuan people, who celebrated the start of the new year by engaging in rituals of renewal and thanksgiving.
In modern times, the holiday is marked by festivities that typically include a large feast, dancing, and other cultural activities. Many people also take part in prayers and reflections, while others use the opportunity to make resolutions and set goals for the coming year. To symbolize the fresh start of the New Year, many people in Papua New Guinea will burn effigies of the old year to signify the end of the former year and create space for the new one.
The day is often spent with family and friends, enjoying traditional foods and drinks like kaukau (a starchy root vegetable) and saksak (a fermented drink made from cassava or sweet potato). People might also take part in traditional dances like the sing-sing, which is a communal event where everyone joins in and sings and dances together in celebration of the New Year. Whatever way they choose to observe it, New Year’s Day is an important time for reflection and renewal in Papua New Guinea.