Holidays & Observances in Burundi

Burundi is a small country in Central Africa. Though it is one of the smallest African countries, the population is still large. A majority of the Burundi population belongs to two tribes, the Hutu and the Tutsi. These two groups have had much conflict between them, leading to many coups and wars in recent history. The inner turmoil of the country has made it one of the poorest and hungriest countries in the world. All of this conflict makes it hard to focus on traditions such as holidays, but a few customs remain strong. Christmas is celebrated by most around the country, as most of the population is Christian. Though the Muslim population is small in Burundi, Eid al-Fitr was made and official holiday in 2005. One of the most important traditions is Burundi is drumming. They have an internationally recognized percussion group: The Master Drummers, and drum music often plays an important role in holiday celebrations.