Today is the first Friday of the month. Unlike previously, the first Friday of August is now a special day, a day when celebrate the national harvest. For many citizens today, the concept of Umuganura will come off as strange, which could leave them merely appreciating the fact that being a public holiday, Umuganura is just as well worth it for it gives the working class that extra day to stay home and rest. Being the first time Rwandans will be celebrating Umuganura as a public holiday makes it interesting to ponder how the citizens will go about it. But this also calls for contextualising the concept of Umuganura in order to understand where we are coming from. In ancient Rwanda, Umuganura was a day on which the kingdom of Rwanda or a specific community in the kingdom celebrated the bounty of the harvest. In the post-Genocide era, the government reintroduced Umuganura festival both at home and among Rwandan communities abroad. And, in May this year, the government designated the first Friday of August as the Umuganura or Thanksgiving Day in celebration of the national harvest. Thanksgiving is celebrated elsewhere in the world, too. For instance, the fourth Thursday of November in the US or second Monday in October in Canada. Umuganura, though, is not about farmers per se, neither is it about only rich harvest so that it should appear like a mockery to those who toiled for naught. Considering what the concept of the bounty of the harvest would imply, Umuganura should be the day for Rwandans to come together in thanksgiving through sharing whatever little they have with their neighbours. The holiday of Thanksgiving is synonymous with festive meals, sports, family and friends. For many, it’s also about spending time together, catching up and enjoying one another’s company. This is one holiday the government has bestowed upon the citizens that should serve as a reminder to give thanks for the good things, people and providential events in our lives. Today, let’s all share with the needy and vulnerable in our communities as we toast to the good times.
