Holidays? Why holidays?

I happened upon this idea by chance after reading a post from "On this day in History." As a fan of history and historical things, I thought about what issue I could explore for this blog. After much thought, I came to this: a blog dedicated to updating people on the happenings of religious and national holidays this year from around the world. As a fan of holidays and celebrations, it seemed like a natural choice, and I hope that readers have as much fun learning about different holidays as I have had researching them. Enjoy!

December 1: Freedom and Democracy Day

In Chad, today marks the Day of celebration for Freedom and Democracy. The holiday specifically commemorates the official ousting of Hissène Habré by Idriss Déby in 1990. After achieving independence in 1960 from France, François Tombalbaye

felt that Chad was not able to sustain itself purely on it's own resources, and hoped that France would aid in their democratic emergence. Unfortunately, rebels in 1963 began to threaten the nation, and in 1975, Tombalbaye was assassinated. His successor was unable to pacify the rebels, and in 1982, Habré's forces were able to take control and assert political dominance over the government. Habré eventually was forced out in December of 1990, and Idriss Déby,

 who was a member of the Patriotic Salvation Movement, became the president of Chad. As a measure of promoting safety and stability, the French government sent troops to the region. Today, government offices are closed and the people of Chad celebrate for Freedom and Democracy.