About: Repentance Day

Repentance Day, on 26 August, is a public holiday in Papua New Guinea. It is celebrated by "prayer ceremonies" across the country. It was established on 15 August 2011 by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who had come to power less than two weeks earlier. The announcement came only eleven days before the first Repentance Day was to be celebrated. It was made a public holiday at the request of "a group of churches", which had initially submitted the request to O'Neill's predecessor Sam Abal, before the latter was ousted in a motion of no confidence. Virtually no explanation of the day's purpose was provided by the government, reportedly creating some confusion among Papua New Guineans as 26 August arrived. Pastor Jack Edward of the Shema Evangelism Ministry was made Repentance Day coordinator, and said the purpose was for people to "come together and pray and ask the Lord to forgive us for the wrongs that are happening in our nation".