Cameroon National Day

La Fête de l'Unité

Cameroon National Day, celebrated every May 20 and also called Unity Day (La Fête de l'Unité), commemorates the 1972 referendum that transformed the country from a federation into a unitary state. Cameroon's story is unusually layered: colonized by Germany, then divided between France and Britain after World War I, it brought together French-speaking and English-speaking regions, French Cameroun gaining independence on January 1, 1960, and the British Southern Cameroons joining in 1961. May 20 marks the choice to unite as one country, and the day stands as a celebration of national unity across a remarkably diverse, bilingual nation of more than 250 ethnic groups.

How It's Celebrated

The day's centerpiece is the grand civic and military parade, with the president presiding and groups from across society, students, civil servants, traditional associations, marching past. There are presidential addresses, traditional dances, music performances, and sporting events. People wear the national colors, green, red, and yellow, and the day is a public holiday marked nationwide.

The celebration also showcases Cameroon's cultural richness: makossa and bikutsi music (genres born in Cameroon), traditional dance, and food like ndolé (the national dish of bitterleaf stew with meat or fish and groundnuts), grilled fish, and plantains.

Celebrating in the US

Cameroonian American communities, with notable populations in the Washington DC metro area, Maryland, Houston, and Atlanta, mark National Day with community gatherings, cultural galas, music, and food organized by Cameroonian associations and hometown unions. Celebrations feature makossa and bikutsi, traditional attire, and a spread of ndolé and other dishes, and serve as a way to celebrate Cameroonian identity, both its Francophone and Anglophone heritage, and to connect across the diaspora.

Because May 20 is a US workday, the larger galas land on the nearest weekend.

If You're Invited

A Cameroonian National Day celebration is a lively, music-filled community event. Wearing green, red, and yellow, or Cameroonian traditional attire, fits the occasion. Expect makossa and bikutsi, energetic dancing, and a generous spread, ndolé is a must-try. A warm "Bonne Fête Nationale" or "Happy National Day" works, and the day is about celebrating unity across a wonderfully diverse nation.

What Families Hire For

A National Day gala or community celebration leans on caterers for the ndolé and Cameroonian spread, musicians and DJs for the makossa and bikutsi, and event planners for the larger hall events.