Tulavu: Holidays, climate, national customs
Religious festivals or holidays
There are a number of public holidays that do not have a fixed date, but are based on the location of Easter. Easter takes place on the first Sunday that follows the first full moon after the beginning of spring. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, which ends on Holy Saturday, is 46 days before Holy Saturday. The date for Pentecost is then 50 days after Easter. The Corpus Christi festival is celebrated on the 2nd Thursday after Pentecost. All Saints’ Day is celebrated for Orthodox Christians on the 1st Sunday after Pentecost, but for Catholic Christians the date is fixed on November 1st. On October 31, Protestants celebrate Reformation Day. The Halloween festival also takes place on this day.
Date | Holiday |
January 1 | New Year |
March April | Easter |
25-26 December | Christmas, boxing day |
Other feasts and holidays
Date | Holiday |
February 11 | Funafuti Youth Day |
March | Commonwealth Day |
April 23 | Day of the bombing of Funafuti |
Second Monday in May | Gospel day |
June | Birthday of the Queen |
August | Children’s day |
October | independence Day |
October 21 | Hurricane Day (1972 Hurrican Bebe) |
November | Prince Charles’ birthday |
Source: Countryaah – Tuvalu Holidays
Tulavu: climate
The islands have a fairly uniform climate with average temperatures of around 30 °C.
The average rainfall is around 3,500 mm. The rainy season is from November to February. From May to October light winds blow from the southeast. From November to April, in the hurricane season, the winds blow from the northwest. Although Tuvalu is outside the actual hurricane belt, it is still hit by these again and again.
The best time to travel to Tuvalu
The best time to travel to Tuvalu is in the dry season from May to October.
Hazards
Hurricanes can hit the island every now and then.
Climate table
Month | Average number of rainy days | Mean maximum temperatures in (°C) | Mean minimum temperatures in (°C) |
January | 18-20 | 31-33 | 25-27 |
February | 17-19 | 31-33 | 25-27 |
March | 13-14 | 31-33 | 25-27 |
April | 10-11 | 31-33 | 25-27 |
May | 07-08 | 31-33 | 25-27 |
June | 07-08 | 30-32 | 21-23 |
July | 07-08 | 30-32 | 23-25 |
August | 08-09 | 30-32 | 24-26 |
September | 10-11 | 31-33 | 23-25 |
October | 13-15 | 32-34 | 24-26 |
November | 14-16 | 32-34 | 25-27 |
December | 16-18 | 31-33 | 25-27 |
Tuvalu: national customs
Ano
The island’s ball game. Two contracting teams line up opposite one another. One team throws the ball forcefully towards the opposing team, which has to push the ball back with their hands. If the ball goes down, you score. The first to reach 10 points wins. The losing team has to start a song and perform a dance.
Tulavu: Sightseeing
- Abbreviationfinder.org: Presents the way that TV stands for the nation of Tuvalu as a two-letter acronym.
General
In Tuvalu there are no sights in the usual sense. But the atolls and islands themselves can be viewed as wonderful sights.
Atoll Funafuti
The atoll Funafuti corresponds to the classical ideas of a coral atoll. It is a wonderful experience to bathe or swim in the Funafuti lagoon. The Funafuti Conservation Area is good for snorkeling. You can watch rays, dolphins and other marine animals.
Tuvalu University operates the University of the South Pacific together with eleven other island states, which is spread across the various island states
Airport
The airport on Funafuti – the capital of the island state – has regular flights from the Fiji Islands
Parliament, primary schools, hospital
In the capital, Funafuti, there is the “government palace” – the seat of the parliament of Tuvalu.
There is also a Tuvalus bank, a post office, two primary schools, the building of the Tuvalu telecommunications company and a small hospital.