Africa

Ethiopian Orthodox feasts, Maghrebi Eids, West African harvest rites, South African Heritage Day, and the diasporic celebration of Kwanzaa.

3 cultural holidays 17 countries

Editorial illustration of blank greeting cards, envelopes and ribbon on a desk

About this region

Ethiopian Orthodox feasts, Maghrebi Eids, West African harvest rites, South African Heritage Day, and the diasporic celebration of Kwanzaa.

Each holiday below opens onto a detail page covering its origin and meaning, traditional greetings in the original language with English translation, design tips for printable cards, a starting palette, and five ready-to-use verses. Slugs that match an entry in the wider 1,292-occasion Greet Grove directory cross-link both ways.

Cultural holidays in Africa

11 September (12 in leap years)

Enkutatash

The Ethiopian new year — observed at the end of the rainy season, when the highlands turn yellow with meskel d

26 December – 1 January

Kwanzaa

A seven-night celebration of African heritage and community, founded in 1966 and now observed by millions acro

19 January (20 in years preceding a Gregorian leap year)

Timkat

The Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of the baptism of Christ — three days of processions, white shamma robes, a

Countries in this region

The Greet Grove directory tracks holidays by country as well — open any country page below to see every observance the directory has indexed for it.