Regional/Cultural Day
Moshoeshoe Day
The anniversary of the death of Moshoeshoe I, the founder of the Basotho nation, in 1870. Moshoeshoe is the greatest hero of Lesotho: he unified the Basotho clans, founded the nation, and resisted both the Zulu and the Boers. He was known for his diplomacy, his generosity, and his wisdom. The most famous story about Moshoeshoe is that when a cannibal ate his grandfather, Moshoeshoe forgave the cannibal and gave him cattle, because "he ate my grandfather thinking he was an enemy, not knowing he was my grandfather." The day is observed with ceremonies at Moshoeshoe's tomb on Thaba Bosiu (Mountain of the Night), and the nation celebrates the man who built it.
