Alcohol Day
Alcohol is illegal in the Maldives : except in the resorts, where it flows freely. This day marks the anniversary of the 1953 alcohol ban (reinforced under the current Islamic constitution), and it is a reminder of the sharp line between the resort Maldives and the local Maldives. The resorts have bars, wine lists, and cocktail menus; the local islands have none. The expatriate workers who staff the resorts drink in the staff quarters; the Maldivian staff, by law, do not drink at all. The alcohol policy is a source of ongoing debate in the Maldives, and the day is not officially celebrated but is noted in discussions about cultural identity, tourism, and the tension between the country's Islamic values and its economic dependence on Western tourists.
