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| {{Infobox royalty
| | '''Thanksgiving''' ({{wp|Germanic languages|Tyrnican}}: ''Erntedankfest'') is a [[Surrow|Surrowese]] holiday that takes place on the second Monday of October. Celebrated as an [[Surrow#Holiday|official holiday]] since the late nineteenth century, Thanksgiving celebrates the bounty of the sea and the end of the fishing season for the year |
| |name = Izibongo Ngonidzashe
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| |image = Mugabe_1979_a.jpg
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| |succession = [[Monarchy of Rwizikuru|King of Rwizikuru]]
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| |reign = 1 June, 1968 - 21 February, 2019
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| |predecessor = ''himself as President''
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| |suc-type =
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| |successor = [[Munashe Ngonidzashe]]
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| |succession2 = [[President of Rwizikuru|Chairman of the National Salvation Council]]
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| |reign2 = 18 January, 1964 - 1 June, 1968
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| |suc-type2 =
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| |predecessor2 = [[Pierre-Ardachir Niyonzima]] {{small|(as President)}}
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| |successor2 = ''himself as King''
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| |reg-type2 = {{nowrap|[[Vice-President of Rwizikuru|Vice-President]]}}
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| |regent2 = [[Fred Ngonidzashe]]
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| |spouse = [[Anatswanashe Ngonidzashe]]
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| |issue = TBD
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| |full name = Nathaniel Izibongo Ngonidzashe
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| |house = [[House of Ngonidzashe]]
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| |father = [[Munonzwa Ngonidzashe]]
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| |mother = [[Kugarakunzwana Ngonidzashe]]
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| |birth_date = {{birth date|1921|4|28|df=y}}
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| |birth_place = [[Vongai]], [[Rwizikuru|Riziland]] (present-day [[Rwizikuru]])
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| |death_date = {{death date and age|2019|2|21|1921|04|28|df=y}}
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| |death_place = [[Morwall]], [[Estmere]]
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| |religion = [[United Amended Church]]
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| |occupation = {{wp|General officer|General}}, {{wp|politician}}
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| |signature = | |
| }} | |
| '''Izibongo Ngonidzashe''' (28 April, 1921 - 21 February, 2019) was a politician and military official, serving as {{wp|general}}, as the [[President of Rwizikuru|Chairman of the National Salvation Council]] after a [[Rwizikuran coup d'etat, 1964|1964 coup]] that overthrew [[Pierre-Ardachir Niyonzima]], and the first [[Monarchy of Rwizikuru|King of Rwizikuru]], ascending the throne in 1968, and reigning until his death in 2019.
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| He was the longest-serving ruler of Rwizikuru, ruling over Rwizikuru for 55 years, 1 month and 3 days, of which he reigned as King for 50 years, 8 months and 20 days.
| | ==History== |
| | [[File:Luxenborough_arrival_at_Newfoundland.jpg|250px|thumb|left|''Arrival of Avery Holcot to the Surrows'', unknown artist, 1760]] |
| | Thanksgiving on Surrow is believed to have primarily evolved from {{wp|harvest festival|harvest festivals}} that occur in the autumn in [[Rythene]] and [[Tyrnica]], with historian [[Harvey Riberg]] writing in 1974 that "most of the customs associated Thanksgiving on Surrow can ultimately be traced to the Rythenean {{wp|harvest festival#Customs and traditions in English-speaking world|harvest supper}}," with Riberg noting records of fishermen as early as 1501 having a feast at the end of the fishing season before returning to [[Auressia]] with their catch "akin to that of a harvest supper." |
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| ==Early life==
| | Many historians, such as [[Dennis Brestrich]] and [[Chris Hasard]], say that the first recorded Thanksgiving was when [[Avery Holcot]] landed on Holcot Inlet in 1486 and thanked God for "protecting their fleet in such wild territory." However, as it took place sometime between June 24th and June 28th, and as it was primarily a religious ceremony where all men in Hoclot's fleet [[Rite of Masking#Rite of Masking|applied clay to their chins]] to symbolise their strength and overcoming difficulties during their voyage, with no feast being held on that day, other historians such as [[Donald Molson]] and Harvey Riberg have argued that it had "no connection or very little connection" to the modern-day Thanksgiving that is celebrated in Surrow. |
| Izibongo Ngonidzashe was born on 28 April, 1921, as the second child and eldest son of [[Munonzwa Ngonidzashe]] and [[Kugarakunzwana Ngonidzashe]] in the town of [[Vongai]] in [[Manathea|Manathea Province]]. His father was the youngest son of [[Mutupo Ngonidzashe]], who was the main ruler of the area around present-day Vongai in the late nineteenth century, whose ancestors held control of the area since roughly the 1700s.
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| His family moved to [[Port Fitzhubert]] in 1923, as his father sought to give his children a good education. Thus, in 1926, Izibongo Ngonidzashe entered the [[Charles Fitzhubert School]], where he was described as an excellent student by his teachers, and he was noted for his propensity to go into the library to study military history for hours at a time. However, the outbreak of the [[Great War (Kylaris)|Great War]] and the subsequent [[Gaullica|Gaullican]] occupation would affect Izibongo's worldview, with Izibongo taking a stronger interest in military strategies, as well as politics.
| | The first official day of Thanksgiving was in 1759 when Governor [[Josiah Matthews]] declared a day of thanksgiving to be held on "the fourteenth day of October" to celebrate the end of the [[Eleven Years War]] between Rythene and Tyrnica. While religious ceremonies were performed on that day, as the day fell on or near the traditional feast at the end of the fishing season, it is believed by most historians, like Dennis Brestrich, Donald Molson, and Harvey Riberg that this "day of thanksgiving" was the first "true Thanksgiving" on Surrow, as it incorporated many of the traditions that are associated with contemporary Surrowese Thanksgiving. |
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| In 1932, he finished his elementary studies, and took the exams to get into the [[Shungudzemwoyo Nhema Grammar School|James Parlow Grammar School]] (present-day [[Shungudzemwoyo Nhema Grammar School]]). After passing them, he began his schooling at the James Parlow Grammar School, where they noted his "knowledge of most things," and his charisma, with one teacher noting that Izibongo Ngonidzashe "could easily be to [[Bahia]] what [[Sigmund Auerswald]] was to [[Euclea]]."
| | Although successive governors would not declare a day of thanksgiving on that date for over fifty years, records from the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century would consistently refer to the day when the feast occurred in early-to-mid October as Thanksgiving, with Thanksgiving involving entire villages gathering at the local temple to mourn those who were lost at sea before having a feast inside the temple to celebrate the "bounty of the sea." |
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| ==Military career==
| | In 1825, Governor [[Abner Stedman]] proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving on the "second Monday of October" to celebrate the success of the [[Second Rythenean Revolution]] and to celebrate the "bounty of the sea without which no man may survive," and declared that Thanksgiving "shall forever fall on the specified day." Stedman's proclamation permanently tied the feast to celebrate the end of the fishing season with Thanksgiving, with the only times Thanksgiving was not proclaimed to fall on the second Monday of October being in 1914 and again in 1943 to give thanks for the ending of the [[First Great War (Levilion)|First Great War]] and the [[Second Great War (Levilion)|Second Great War]], with the dates being TBD and October 28th respectively. |
| [[File:Izibongocampaign54.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Izibongo Ngonidzashe (left) at a cabinet meeting with President [[Vudzijena Nhema]] (right), 1961]] | |
| After finishing {{wp|sixth form}} in 1939, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would enlist in the colonial militia. Originally an enlisted soldier within the infantry, because of Izibongo Ngonidzashe's intelligence and interest in military strategies, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would be sent for further training at [[National Military Academy (Estmere)|National Military Academy]] in [[Estmere]], where he was the only non-[[Freemen]] in the class.
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| After completing officer training in 1943, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would return back to Riziland as a Lieutenant, where Izibongo Ngonidzashe would be one of the first Bahian officers in the militia. By that point, the Colony of Riziland was preparing for independence, due to Estmere's financial woes in the post-[[Great War (Kylaris)|Great War]] period, leading to Izibongo Ngonidzashe being a valuable asset in Estmere's plans to maintain influence over Riziland post-independence. Thus, on the eve of independence, Izibongo Ngonidzashe has risen to the rank of Major. In 1946, with Riziland gaining independence as [[Rwizikuru]], Izibongo Ngonidzashe would be promoted to Colonel. During this period, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would also serve as a military instructor at the newly established [[Port Fitzhubert Military Academy]] in [[Port Fitzhubert]].
| | In 1950, following Surrow's formal independence from Rythene, Thanksgiving was officially codified as a public holiday falling on the second Monday of October, with the holiday staying on that date ever since. Since the 1950s, as Surrow has urbanised, Thanksgiving customs changed, with dinners in Holcot Inlet decreasing as people began returning to their hometowns to attend their Thanksgiving dinners. |
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| With the election of [[Vudzijena Nhema]] as [[President of Rwizikuru]], succeeding pro-Estmerish [[Zophar Bohannon]] in 1954, Izibongo Ngonidzashe's position would rise significantly, as Nhema sought to nativize the military: by 1957, at only the age of 36, Izibongo Ngonidzashe had risen to the rank of General, and in 1961 would become the Chief of Staff to the President. At around this point in time, Izibongo Ngonidzashe became increasingly critical of the Rwizikuran government, particularly over its decision to join the [[United Bahian Republic]], which he believed "needlessly endangered Rwizikuran national security."
| | ==Customs== |
| | [[File:ETS_Bus_Happy_Thanksgiving.jpg|250px|thumb|right|A [[Tulaktarvik Transit Authority|TTA]] bus displaying "Happy Thanksgiving," 2019]] |
| | In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Surrowese usually travel back to their home communities, which in the context of Thanksgiving means the place where their ancestors had most recently lived before moving to either [[Holcot Inlet]], [[Tulaktarvik]], or [[Gateway]]. This has made the Thanksgiving weekend the busiest travel day of the year in Surrow, leading to a custom where entire families travel by chartered bus towards their home communities in order to avoid dealing with traffic congestion and spending too much on gas as gas prices usually spike during the Thanksgiving weekend. |
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| By 1963, with [[Yemet]] joining the United Bahian Republic, and with [[Maucha]] coveting lands within Rwizikuru, Izibongo Ngonidzashe became concerned that the United Bahian Republic would "vastly undermine Rwizikuran independence and sovereignty." At this point in time, growing opposition in both [[Yekumavirira]] and in [[East Riziland]] against Vudzijena Nhema's economic policies, combined with Nhema's abuse of power led to the [[Royal Rwizikuran Armed Forces|Rwizikuran Army]] planning a {{wp|military coup}} against his government.
| | Upon their arrival in their home community, the Thanksgiving meal traditionally takes place at a local temple or at the local community centre, with preparations being made for at least two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Traditionally, the Thanksgiving meal takes place in the early evening, but since the early 1990s, there has been a trend to have multiple sittings spanning from lunch to supper to ensure that everyone who arrives in their home community can attend the Thanksgiving celebrations. Some historians, such as Molson, have argued that it may have been an outgrowth of having two separate meals in [[Tern Harbour]] for the town's Rythenean and Tyrnican communities, but others, such as Hasard have said that it is due to community centres or temples being "unable to accommodate over one-to-two hundred people at once." |
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| ==Coup d'etats and early leadership==
| | The meal itself involves a traditional dance performance by a local group, usually either a {{wp|English country dance|country dance}} or a {{wp|Ländler|Tyrnican country dance}}, followed by a priest or the mayor reading the names of those who were lost at sea in the past year before performing a {{wp|toast (honor)|toast}} to all who have lost their lives at sea. This is then followed by saying grace before eating the meal, and then at the end of the meal, another traditional dance performance is performed. |
| [[File:Don_Francisco_Macias.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Civilian portrait of Izibongo Ngonidzashe, 1967]]
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| On 3 November, 1963, while [[Vudzijena Nhema]] was attending an [[Association of Emerging Socialist Economies|AESE]] conference, the [[Royal Rwizikuran Armed Forces|Rwizikuran military]] successfully [[Rwizikuran coup d'etat, 1963|overthrew the government]], with Izibongo Ngonidzashe seizing control of the [[Rwizikuran Information Service|national radio station]] to announce that Nhema was deposed for "hindering the country's development" and threatened his arrest and trial "should he ever step foot on Rwizi soil."
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| Nhema's vice-president, [[Pierre-Ardachir Niyonzima]] was installed as President, pursuant to the [[Constitution of Rwizikuru, 1946|Rwizikuran constitution]]. However, in practice, Izibongo Ngonidzashe and the military held the real power, with Niyonzima being told by Ngonidzashe upon becoming President that "if you don't obey us, you will meet the same fate as Nhema."
| | After the meal, families usually spend time in their home community, either at a relative's house, or in an outdoor environment before returning home later in the day or the following morning. |
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| Initially, President Niyonzima seemed willing to follow the military's directives, and reverted much of Nhema's economic policy. However, on 17 January, 1964, when he refused an order from Izibongo Ngonidzashe to "withdraw immediately from the [[United Bahian Republic]]," Niyonzima was summoned to Izibongo Ngonidzashe's residence, where he was believed to have been killed in a [[Rwizikuran coup d'etat, 1964|second coup d'etat]].
| | ==Cuisine== |
| | [[File:Jiggs_Dinner.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A plate of home dinner]] |
| | Due to Thanksgiving falling at the end of the fishing season, most of the dishes consumed at Thanksgiving are fish-based. |
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| On 18 January, 1964, the military declared that Niyonzima resigned, and that "due to the security situation in Rwizikuru, a [[National Salvation Council (Rwizikuru)|National Salvation Council]] is to govern the country to bring back stability and economic growth to the Republic," shortly after Izibongo offered the Presidency to [[Zophar Bohannon]], who turned down the offer.
| | The three most prominent dishes associated with Thanksgiving are {{wp|flipper pie}}, made from cured and salted seal flippers and vegetables and covered with pastry akin to a traditional {{wp|meat pie}}; {{wp|Jiggs dinner|home dinner}}, comprised of {{wp|salt beef}} boiled with {{wp|potatoes}}, {{wp|carrots}}, {{wp|cabbages}}, {{wp|turnips}}, and {{wp|greens (vegetables)|greens}}, and alongside {{wp|Figgy duff (pudding)|raisin pudding}}, {{wp|stuffing}}, and {{wp|pease pudding}}, and {{wp|fish and brewis}}, comprised of fish and {{wp|hardtack}} and typically served alongside with {{wp|scrunchions}}, or fried {{wp|pork rinds}}. It is customary to serve fish and brewis and either flipper pie, home dinner, or both dishes at Thanksgiving. |
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| The National Salvation Council was made up of five figures, of which the initial five were [[Increase Barnard]], [[Promise Kabweza]], [[Chamunorwa Mnkandla]], Izibongo Ngonidzashe, and [[Nehemiah Taylor]]. However, Izibongo Ngonidzashe was appointed Chairman of the National Salvation Council, due to Izibongo Ngonidzashe's "charisma on radio" and his ability to communicate effectively with the Rwizikuran population.
| | Other foods commonly consumed during Thanksgiving include {{wp|fishcake}} with {{wp|summer savoury}}; {{wp|Hash (food)|fish hash}}; {{wp|fish soup}}, usually made with cod and berries; {{wp|Rollmops|rolled fish}}, made with pickled cod rolled up in a cylindrical shape around an onion and salt filling; {{wp|fish fingers}}, usually made with cod; {{wp|tuna casserole|cod or haddock casserole}}, made with pasta and either cod or haddock, and topped with hardtack; {{wp|chowder|cod chowder}}, made with cod, {{wp|dulse|sea lettuce}} and corn, hardtack, and milk; {{wp|scrod}}, made from filleting a small cod or haddock and then baking it, and {{wp|prawn soup}}, made with {{wp|shrimp}}. Common sides at Thanksgiving include {{wp|mashed potatoes}}, {{wp|potato salad}}, {{wp|tuna salad|cod or haddock salad}}, shrimp, and sea lettuce. |
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| As Chairman of the National Salvation Council, Izibongo Ngonidzashe had a free hand to reverse most of Vudzijena Nhema's economic and social policies, seeking to reorient Rwizikuru's economy towards [[Euclea]] and restore Bohannon's "sensible economic policies," while cracking down on {{wp|academic freedom}} and {{wp|student protests}} at the [[University of Rwizikuru]]. However, one issue that always held his attention was the situation in [[Yekumavirira]], where the Barobyi were critical of continued Rwizikuran rule over the area. This led to Izibongo Ngonidzashe cracking down on minority groups in the region, with {{wp|Kinyarwanda language|Kirobyi}} being banned from public use in 1965. These policies culminated in the [[Port Vaugeois massacre]], which killed 22 people, and led to the declaration of an armed struggle by the [[Yekumavirira Liberation Movement]] who fought against the Rwizikuran government.
| | Traditionally, {{wp|whiskey}} is consumed at the Thanksgiving dinner, with a shot of whiskey traditionally consumed "at once" after the toast to those lost at sea to "honor their memories," with subsequent drinks are expected to be nursed throughout the night in order to "preserve the supply of whiskey." For those who are either too young to consume whiskey, usually under the age of 13, or who choose not to drink alcohol, {{wp|apple cider}} is an acceptable alternative to whiskey. However, whiskey's popularity has been in decline since the 1990s, with some community centres banning the consumption of whiskey and other alcoholic beverages at Thanksgiving dinners due to liability concerns, and in recent years, other beverages, such as {{wp|soft drinks}}, {{wp|beer}}, or water, have become more acceptable. |
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| By 1967, Izibongo Ngonidzashe had replaced almost all of the National Salvation Council with his own supporters, and he began making plans to create a monarchy. These were opposed by [[Promise Kabweza]], who feared that it would destabilize Rwizikuru too much, and would be a "violation of [Izibongo's] own promise when he overthrew Niyonzima." It culminated in an [[Port Fitzhubert putsch, 1968|attempted coup]] the following year, led by Promise Kabweza, but Izibongo Ngonidzashe's loyalists were able to quell the coup. Thus, by the March of that year, Izibongo Ngonidzashe began making plans to create an {{wp|absolute monarchy}}, convinced that republicanism was "not feasible for Bahian societies like Rwizikuru, who need the rule of a strong king to bind the nation together."
| | The traditional desserts consumed on Thanksgiving are {{wp|blueberry pie}}, which is traditionally made from the last wild blueberries harvested in the season, and {{wp|pie|bakeapple pie}}, which is made from the last {{wp|Rubus chamaemorus|cloudberries}} harvested in the season, although in recent years, most of the berries are imported from other countries such as Albrennia. However, in recent years, {{wp|pumpkin pie}} and {{wp|apple pie}}, primarily imported from Albrennia has become popular as an alternative Thanksgiving dessert to blueberry pie. |
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| ==Monarch==
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| ===Coronation and wars===
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| [[File:GWOI1.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Garamburan forces entering [[Ntawha]] after the [[Battle of Ntawha]], 1969]]
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| On 1 June, 1968, Izibongo Ngonidzashe held a coronation ceremony. On the advice of TBD, it was held in the citadel at [[Munzwa|Old Munzwa]], with "every chief and prince across the land" invited to pay homage to the new King in a traditional Rwizi ceremony. Most chiefs attended, but many chiefs from [[Yekumavirira]] refused to pay homage, in protest of Izibongo's policies.
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| Following his coronation, he declared that he would rule as an absolute monarch, but vowed to maintain "strong relations with [[Estmere]]." At first, Izibongo Ngonidzashe's reign was marked by a continuation of his pro-Estmerish economic policy, but with the outbreak of the [[Mabifian-Rwizikuran War]] on 6 October, 1968 over Yekumavirira, Izibongo Ngonidzashe was forced to pay full attention to the war. Despite initial success at beating back the Mabifian forces, with Estmerish support, the Mabifians would begin making inroads by December 1968, and following the defeat in the [[Mabifian-Rwizikuran War#Battle of Port Vaugeois|Battle of Port Vaugeois]] on 16 March, 1969, the Rwizikuran government was forced to sign the [[Treaty of Snarksburgh]] to end the war, which led to Rwizikuru giving up Yekumavirira to Mabifia.
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| At the same time as the Battle of Port Vaugeois, the Rwizikuran military faced a [[Garamburan War of Independence|war of independence]] against Rwizikuru in [[East Riziland]]. With widespread support for the cause, combined with the [[Royal Rwizikuran Armed Forces|Rwizikuran military]] being "substantially demoralised" due to their defeat, by the end of April, East Riziland would gain its independence as [[Garambura]], although Izibongo Ngonidzashe sought to reincorporate Garambura into Rwizikuru and believed that its independence was only achieved by "the complete collapse of Rwizikuran forces" in Yekumavirira.
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| (TBC)
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| By 1974, Izibongo Ngonidzashe began making "grand pronouncements" of creating a "new [[Rwizi Empire]]." This would culminate on 25 December, 1974, when together with [[Maucha]], the [[Royal Rwizikuran Armed Forces]] invaded [[Garambura]], with Ngonidzashe seeking to retake at least some of former [[East Riziland]] back.
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| However, on the Rwizikuran front, the Royal Rwizikuran Front was met with a stalemate along the [[Maghedi corridor]], as Garamburan forces were able to effectively hinder advances through it, while advancing through the [[Mabvazuva Mountains]] was impossible due to the geography of the region. Thus, after a nearly two year-long campaign, Izibongo Ngonidzashe was forced to accept a [[Community of Nations|CN]]-mediated peace which exchanged some border towns between Rwizikuru and Garambura. Despite Rwizikuru losing the Nativity War, Izibongo Ngonidzashe continued to desire to rebuild the Rwizi Empire, and supported {{wp|Zulu people|Kulo}} separatists in [[Yemet]] with the aim of having them separate from Yemet so that he could conquer them and "surround East Riziland."
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| In the aftermath of the war, Izibongo Ngonidzashe oversaw the construction of the {{wp|planned capital}}, [[Guta raMambo]], to replace [[Port Fitzhubert]] as the capital, partially due to Port Fitzhubert being vulnerable to attack by land or sea, and partially to assert government control over the interior and to "unite the country." By 1978, the ''[[Imba yoRudzi]]'' was completed, enabling Izibongo Ngonidzashe to move the capital from Port Fitzhubert to Guta raMambo.
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| In 1979, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would finally establish diplomatic relations with Garambura, abandoning Rwizikuru's claim to the independent state.
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| ===Liberalisation===
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| [[File:President_Ronald_Reagan_meeting_with_Prime_Minister_Robert_Mugabe_of_Zimbabwe_(cropped).jpg|250px|thumb|right|Izibongo Ngonidzashe, 1983]]
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| Beginning in 1979, Izibongo Ngonidzashe sought to liberalise the Rwizikuran economy, both to rebuild the Rwizikuran economy after virtually a decade of war, and to further improve relations with Euclea. Thus, in 1979, the [[Rwizikuran Information Service]] launched its television service, and in 1980, Izibongo Ngonidzashe "greatly reduced regulations" to permit greater foreign investment.
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| On 22 December, 1981, Izibongo's brother, [[Muchazvireva Ngonidzashe]], backed by his eldest son, [[Dunzvi Ngonidzashe]], and by [[Tsuru Mawere]], attempted to launch a [[Port Fitzhubert putsch, 1981|coup d'etat]] against Izibongo Ngonidzashe because they believed that the pace of reforms were not going quick enough, with Mawere in particular wanting a constitutional monarchy. The putsch was crushed, although Dunzvi Ngonidzashe fled to [[Caldia]], and Muchazvireva was executed by a {{wp|show trial}} on December 30th. He and his descendants were subsequently stripped of royal status.
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| Following the failed coup, Kupakwashe engaged in purges against the [[Royal Rwizikuran Armed Forces]], and intensified his economic reforms. Furhtermore, he sought to improve Rwizikuru's transport infrastructure, the royal capital of [[Guta raMambo]], and Port Fitzhubert. However, these efforts were hampered by rampant {{wp|embezzlement}} and {{wp|corruption}} on all levels of the Rwizikuran government, with Izibongo Ngonidzashe saying in 1986 that "everyone is corrupt in some ways." That year, only 15% of the funds allocated in the national budget actually made it to the programs that were supposed to be funded in the budget.
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| Increasing awareness of Rwizikuru's corruption meant that aid to Rwizikuru started to decline, forcing Izibongo to sign an agreement with the [[Global Institute of Fiscal Affairs]] in 1988, with the GIFA providing Rwizikuru with a loan of 10,000,000 [[Weranian reichsmark|reichsmarks]], in exchange for Rwizikuru undergoing {{wp|structural adjustment}}, and instituting strict anti-corruption policies. Thus, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he oversaw a crackdown of corruption and embezzlement, with around 3,000 workers found guilty of corruption and stripped of their positions between 1988 and 1994, leading to an increase of aid sent by many countries. These policies would peter out by the mid-1990s, with corruption returning to its pre-1988 level by the end of the 1990s.
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| ===Later reign===
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| [[File:Mugabecloseup2008.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Izibongo Ngonidzashe, 2008]]
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| On 1 June, 1993, Izibongo Ngonidzashe celebrated his {{wp|silver jubilee}} with a military parade in [[Port Fitzhubert]]. Reportedly, following the parade, he expressed his disappointment at the quality of the [[Royal Rwizikuran Armed Forces]], and over the next few years secured deals with [[Ansan]] and other nations to supply Rwizikuru with new weapons and to provide better training to the Rwizikuran military.
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| In the 2000s, Izibongo Ngonidzashe accepted agreements with [[Senria]] and other countries to help develop the nation's infrastructure, in exchange for these countries exploiting [[Rwizikuru]]'s natural resources, especially {{wp|coltan}} and {{wp|copper}}, with Rwizikuru joining the [[Council for Mutual Development]] in 2001. This led to an influx of wealth entering the Rwizikuran economy, although little of this wealth benefitted the Rwizikuran population. However, some urban areas, such as [[Port Fitzhubert]] and [[Guta raMambo]] saw an improvement of living standards among the general population during the decade, leading to an exodus from rural areas into the cities.
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| Due to growing international pressure to strengthen Rwizikuru's labour laws, Izibongo Ngonidzashe promulgated legislation to strengthen labour laws in 2005, although these laws were poorly enforced. However, Izibongo Ngonidzashe sought to maintain Rwizikuru's absolute monarchy, with Izibongo saying in 2008 that "I will rule Rwizikuru until God says 'come.'"
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| (TBC)
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| ==Death==
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| By the mid-2010s, Izibongo Ngonidzashe's health began to deteriorate.
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| *bounces in and out of hospitals in [[Morwall]] from the mid-2010s on
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| *dies of old age
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| ==Legacy==
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| [[File:Francisco_Macías_Nguema.jpg|150px|thumb|right|A profile of him on a [[Rwizikuran shilling]] banknote, c. 1980]]
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| Izibongo Ngonidzashe's legacy has generally been negative, especially among foreigners. Supporters, such as [[Rupenyu Chikerema]], professor at the [[University of Rwizikuru]], and sociologist [[Watinoda Kumbula]] have praised Izibongo's achievements in developing a "non-colonial society," with his appeal to {{wp|Shona people|Rwizi}} traditions, culture, and nationalism, as well as his commitment to not accepting any form of foreign aid.
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| However, opponents, such as [[Muchazvireva Ngonidzashe]], leader of the [[Rwizikuru government-in-exile]] in [[Caldia]], and professor (TBD) of (TBD university) have criticized his authoritarian nature, his willingness to oppress minorities, both ethnic (in the case of the [[Mirites]]) and religious (in the case of the [[Irfan|Irfanic]] population), and the fact that he had stymied development out of fear that foreign countries would exploit Rwizikuru's wealth. Many opponents in [[Bahia]] also noted that his rule "crippled the [[United Bahian Republic]]" after withdrawing Rwizikuru from the organisation, leading to the United Bahian Republic's collapse when [[Yemet]] and [[Maucha]] fought the [[Ibabochian War]].
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| While it is impossible to determine accurate statistics on his approval rating, due to Rwizikuru's {{wp|lèse-majesté}} laws, many in Rwizikuru have appreciated him for his efforts at creating a "traditional Bahian monarchy." In addition, many places in Rwizikuru are named after him, such as the [[King Izibongo School]] in [[Guta raMambo]], and the [[Izibongo Memorial Hospital]] in [[Crogan]], where he died, and was renamed posthumously.
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| ==Personal life==
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| He was a member of the [[United Amended Church]], and was known to be extraordinarily devout, with a priest in [[Port Fitzhubert]] saying that Izibongo was "an extraordinary member of the church: he made sure to attend every service, and sought to expound these principles in everyone."
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| He was fluent in {{wp|Shona language|Rwizi}}, {{wp|English language|Estmerish}}, and {{wp|French language|Gaullican}}, and could carry a basic conversation in the {{wp|Kinyarwanda language|Kirobyi language}}.
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| ===Marriage and issue===
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| Izibongo Ngonidzashe was married twice, first to [[Anatswanashe Ngonidzashe]], who he was married to from 1955 until her death in 1986 from {{wp|ovarian cancer}}, and {{wp|Grace Mugabe|TBD Ngonidzashe}}, who he was married to from 1990 until his death in 2019.
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| From his first marriage, Izibongo Ngonidzashe had three daughters: Sophia Makwarimba, born in 1956, Marianne Ngonidzashe, who was born in 1958 and died of malaria in 1960, and Claudia Thabiso, born in 1963, and one son, [[Joseph Ngonidzashe]], who was born in 1961, and who was [[Monarchy of Rwizikuru|Crown Prince]] from the monarchy's establishment in 1968 until his death in 2002.
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| From his second marriage, he had two sons: [[Munashe Ngonidzashe]], born in 1991, and [[Honore Ngonidzashe]], born in 1996, and a daughter: Martha Lesebo, born in 1995.
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| ==Titles and honors==
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| *'''28 April, 1921 - 2 December, 1954''' - Izibongo Ngonidzashe
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| *'''1943 - 1954''' - ''Lieutenant'' Izibongo Ngonidzashe
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| *'''1957 - 1961''' - ''General'' Izibongo Ngonidzashe
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| *'''1961 - 18 January, 1964''' - ''General'' Izibongo Ngonidzashe, ''Chief of Staff''
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| *'''18 January, 1964 - 1 June, 1968''' - ''His Excellency'' Izibongo Ngonidzashe, ''Chairman of the [[National Salvation Council (Rwizikuru)|National Salvation Council]]''
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| *'''1 June, 1968 - 21 February, 2019''' - ''His Most Faithful Majesty'' Izibongo Ngonidzashe, ''King of Rwizikuru''
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| *'''Full regnal title''' - ''His Most Faithful Majesty'' Ngonidzashe I, ''by the {{wp|Grace of God}}, and by the will of the Rwizikuran people and the [[National Salvation Council (Rwizikuru)|National Salvation Council]], King and {{wp|Nganga#Shona N'anga/Zulu Nyanga|N'anga}} of the Rwizikuran nation and of the Rwizi people''
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| ===Domestic honors===
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| *{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} - Sovereign of the Nation, 1968
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| *{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} - Commander of the Order of the Elephant, 1968
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| *{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} - Order of Merit, 1950
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| *{{flagicon|Rwizikuru}} - [[Mabifian-Rwizikuran War]] Medal, 1969
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| ===Foreign honors===
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| * [[File:Order of Estmere ribbon Grand Cross Special Class.svg|80px]] Grand Cross with Special Class of the [[Order of Estmere]] (1981)
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Thanksgiving (Tyrnican: Erntedankfest) is a Surrowese holiday that takes place on the second Monday of October. Celebrated as an official holiday since the late nineteenth century, Thanksgiving celebrates the bounty of the sea and the end of the fishing season for the year
History
Arrival of Avery Holcot to the Surrows, unknown artist, 1760
Thanksgiving on Surrow is believed to have primarily evolved from harvest festivals that occur in the autumn in Rythene and Tyrnica, with historian Harvey Riberg writing in 1974 that "most of the customs associated Thanksgiving on Surrow can ultimately be traced to the Rythenean harvest supper," with Riberg noting records of fishermen as early as 1501 having a feast at the end of the fishing season before returning to Auressia with their catch "akin to that of a harvest supper."
Many historians, such as Dennis Brestrich and Chris Hasard, say that the first recorded Thanksgiving was when Avery Holcot landed on Holcot Inlet in 1486 and thanked God for "protecting their fleet in such wild territory." However, as it took place sometime between June 24th and June 28th, and as it was primarily a religious ceremony where all men in Hoclot's fleet applied clay to their chins to symbolise their strength and overcoming difficulties during their voyage, with no feast being held on that day, other historians such as Donald Molson and Harvey Riberg have argued that it had "no connection or very little connection" to the modern-day Thanksgiving that is celebrated in Surrow.
The first official day of Thanksgiving was in 1759 when Governor Josiah Matthews declared a day of thanksgiving to be held on "the fourteenth day of October" to celebrate the end of the Eleven Years War between Rythene and Tyrnica. While religious ceremonies were performed on that day, as the day fell on or near the traditional feast at the end of the fishing season, it is believed by most historians, like Dennis Brestrich, Donald Molson, and Harvey Riberg that this "day of thanksgiving" was the first "true Thanksgiving" on Surrow, as it incorporated many of the traditions that are associated with contemporary Surrowese Thanksgiving.
Although successive governors would not declare a day of thanksgiving on that date for over fifty years, records from the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century would consistently refer to the day when the feast occurred in early-to-mid October as Thanksgiving, with Thanksgiving involving entire villages gathering at the local temple to mourn those who were lost at sea before having a feast inside the temple to celebrate the "bounty of the sea."
In 1825, Governor Abner Stedman proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving on the "second Monday of October" to celebrate the success of the Second Rythenean Revolution and to celebrate the "bounty of the sea without which no man may survive," and declared that Thanksgiving "shall forever fall on the specified day." Stedman's proclamation permanently tied the feast to celebrate the end of the fishing season with Thanksgiving, with the only times Thanksgiving was not proclaimed to fall on the second Monday of October being in 1914 and again in 1943 to give thanks for the ending of the First Great War and the Second Great War, with the dates being TBD and October 28th respectively.
In 1950, following Surrow's formal independence from Rythene, Thanksgiving was officially codified as a public holiday falling on the second Monday of October, with the holiday staying on that date ever since. Since the 1950s, as Surrow has urbanised, Thanksgiving customs changed, with dinners in Holcot Inlet decreasing as people began returning to their hometowns to attend their Thanksgiving dinners.
Customs
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TTA bus displaying "Happy Thanksgiving," 2019
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Surrowese usually travel back to their home communities, which in the context of Thanksgiving means the place where their ancestors had most recently lived before moving to either Holcot Inlet, Tulaktarvik, or Gateway. This has made the Thanksgiving weekend the busiest travel day of the year in Surrow, leading to a custom where entire families travel by chartered bus towards their home communities in order to avoid dealing with traffic congestion and spending too much on gas as gas prices usually spike during the Thanksgiving weekend.
Upon their arrival in their home community, the Thanksgiving meal traditionally takes place at a local temple or at the local community centre, with preparations being made for at least two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Traditionally, the Thanksgiving meal takes place in the early evening, but since the early 1990s, there has been a trend to have multiple sittings spanning from lunch to supper to ensure that everyone who arrives in their home community can attend the Thanksgiving celebrations. Some historians, such as Molson, have argued that it may have been an outgrowth of having two separate meals in Tern Harbour for the town's Rythenean and Tyrnican communities, but others, such as Hasard have said that it is due to community centres or temples being "unable to accommodate over one-to-two hundred people at once."
The meal itself involves a traditional dance performance by a local group, usually either a country dance or a Tyrnican country dance, followed by a priest or the mayor reading the names of those who were lost at sea in the past year before performing a toast to all who have lost their lives at sea. This is then followed by saying grace before eating the meal, and then at the end of the meal, another traditional dance performance is performed.
After the meal, families usually spend time in their home community, either at a relative's house, or in an outdoor environment before returning home later in the day or the following morning.
Cuisine
Due to Thanksgiving falling at the end of the fishing season, most of the dishes consumed at Thanksgiving are fish-based.
The three most prominent dishes associated with Thanksgiving are flipper pie, made from cured and salted seal flippers and vegetables and covered with pastry akin to a traditional meat pie; home dinner, comprised of salt beef boiled with potatoes, carrots, cabbages, turnips, and greens, and alongside raisin pudding, stuffing, and pease pudding, and fish and brewis, comprised of fish and hardtack and typically served alongside with scrunchions, or fried pork rinds. It is customary to serve fish and brewis and either flipper pie, home dinner, or both dishes at Thanksgiving.
Other foods commonly consumed during Thanksgiving include fishcake with summer savoury; fish hash; fish soup, usually made with cod and berries; rolled fish, made with pickled cod rolled up in a cylindrical shape around an onion and salt filling; fish fingers, usually made with cod; cod or haddock casserole, made with pasta and either cod or haddock, and topped with hardtack; cod chowder, made with cod, sea lettuce and corn, hardtack, and milk; scrod, made from filleting a small cod or haddock and then baking it, and prawn soup, made with shrimp. Common sides at Thanksgiving include mashed potatoes, potato salad, cod or haddock salad, shrimp, and sea lettuce.
Traditionally, whiskey is consumed at the Thanksgiving dinner, with a shot of whiskey traditionally consumed "at once" after the toast to those lost at sea to "honor their memories," with subsequent drinks are expected to be nursed throughout the night in order to "preserve the supply of whiskey." For those who are either too young to consume whiskey, usually under the age of 13, or who choose not to drink alcohol, apple cider is an acceptable alternative to whiskey. However, whiskey's popularity has been in decline since the 1990s, with some community centres banning the consumption of whiskey and other alcoholic beverages at Thanksgiving dinners due to liability concerns, and in recent years, other beverages, such as soft drinks, beer, or water, have become more acceptable.
The traditional desserts consumed on Thanksgiving are blueberry pie, which is traditionally made from the last wild blueberries harvested in the season, and bakeapple pie, which is made from the last cloudberries harvested in the season, although in recent years, most of the berries are imported from other countries such as Albrennia. However, in recent years, pumpkin pie and apple pie, primarily imported from Albrennia has become popular as an alternative Thanksgiving dessert to blueberry pie.
