Holidays in Congo

Wow, so everyone really has been clamoring to know why Easter isn't celebrated here! I talked to one of my colleagues who is a Congolese pastor about this yesterday during coffee break. Basically what I gather is that the celebrations that are important here are still the traditional ones, not the ones that have come from outside the culture. For example the grieving process is still really important--for a year you don't shave or you dress all in black all the time and then on the one year anniversary of the death (say of your father) you have a big party and officially end the mourning.

I guess Easter is somewhat acknowledged in the churches, but it's not really of cultural importance here. I think maybe it's partly just a poor understanding of the significance and the way Easter corresponds with the Jewish Passover. The Catholics, however, are very much linked with the liturgical calendar, so they celebrate Easter, but I would be surprised if the celebration extends much after the church service is over. I don't think it's a "family holiday" like it is for us.