King Tupou I public holiday on Monday [1]
Tuesday, November 26, 2019 - 18:10
A public holiday, “King Tupou I Day” will be observed on Monday, December 2 in respect of the founder of the modern Kingdom of Tonga, King George Taufa’ahau Tupou I.
The December 4 public holiday this year falls on a Wednesday, so it will be moved up to be observed on Monday, December 2. This is in accordance to a Public Holiday Act, stating when these holidays fall on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the public holiday will be observed on the Monday before the actual day.
The holiday commemorates the start of his reign as the King of Tonga on December 4, 1845 and the beginning of modern Tonga as a unified Christian Kingdom under the Tu’i Kanokupolu dynasty.
King Tupou I is also credited for helping spread Christianity throughout the Pacific and protecting Tonga from foreign domination.