An interesting thing is that on the world map there are two countries named Congo coexisting. One is the Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville) and the other is the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo Kinshasa). These two countries are both part of the Francophone Community, have their own political regimes and use their own currencies. The economic aspects of these two countries are also completely opposite. The Republic of Congo is a developing country, although its economy relies mainly on oil exploitation and export, it has also had impressive growth in recent years.
Meanwhile, its large neighbor, Congo Kinshasa, remains in the top 10 poorest countries in the world. In addition, unemployment, lack of investment in health care and education have led to stagnation in economic development for many years.
While Tet in Congo Brazzaville is widely recognized and celebrated annually, in Congo Kinshasa, people can only watch fireworks and celebrate Tet once every 50 years. On Tet, adults and children in the Republic of Congo are off work and school. Families gather together, dance and sing as a way to say goodbye to the old year. Meanwhile, our "brother" who shares the same border in the Northwest has to wait too long to celebrate Tet. It can be said that a lucky person will celebrate Tet 1-2 times in his life.
Known as a large, populous, poor, and backward country, Tet in the Democratic Republic of Congo is truly a festival with a joyful atmosphere that people look forward to. On Tet, Congo Kinshasa people often decorate their houses colorfully and indulge in long parties that last for 3 months. Many people believe that this once-in-50-years event is a typical cultural feature of the Congolese people. However, it is also possible that the long-lasting poverty forces people here to patiently "wait for Congo New Year".
However, during the year they still celebrate some other important holidays such as National Day (June 30) or Father's Day (August 1),...
