Local colour
For your travellers, these three months are the perfect time to soak up a bit of local colour. There are permanent fairs and street markets throughout the season along the Avenue de l’Indépendance. And every town has its Avenue.
They are lovely places to stroll and sample little kebabs or barbequed chicken. It’s definitely an experience: the homemade fairground attractions aren’t really to European taste. The fact that it’s so unusual makes this an absolute must-see.
What is there to do on the national holiday?
Festival of music, games and street restaurants
In the cities, there are free musical acts. Off stage, people play all kinds of games such as the typical Malagasy board game Fanorona. There’s food for the body as well as the soul, with stalls everywhere selling drinks and all kinds of meat kebabs.
The festival atmosphere completely takes over: in the towns, it causes absolute traffic chaos. But the festivalgoers don’t give a hoot.
President’s parade on 26 June
People flock to the capital, Antananarivo, from the suburbs and the countryside for the traditional parade with the president and the army in Mahamasina Stadium. Traditionally, the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, plays host to the presidents of other African countries who attend Independence Day.
He holds a celebratory parade of horses, helicopters, aircraft and tanks. (Get a sense of the atmosphere in this film).
Harendrina and tsipoapoaka
For many people, the party actually begins on the evening of 25 June. People of all ages come out into the streets with lighted harendrina, or traditional paper lanterns, often made in the national colours of white, red and green. We sing “Harendrina taratasy ô, may, may, may!” (“Paper lantern, burn, burn, burn!”) as we go. The idea is to drive out the darkness and welcome the light, a sign of hope and a better future for the country.
The harendrina is a symbol of freedom and national pride. Nowadays, these traditionally crafted lanterns are often replaced by modern variants, such as battery lamps and other light-emitting gadgets.
Besides the harendrina, people enjoy tsipoapoaka, fireworks and bangers. Children love firecrackers, a reminder of gunfire during the fight for independence. And, of course, they adore the big firework display put on by the government at Lake Anosy in Antananarivo.
June is ‘children’s month’
In short, the period from Easter until the national holiday is one big party for the children of Madagascar. After 26 June, the festivities calm down, and all the fairs and street markets disappear.
The country gradually shifts into July, which is the beginning of high season in Madagascar.
