National Repentance Day in 2026

When is Repentance Day?

Repentance Day is a public holiday in Papua New Guinea observed on August 26th.

This day is generally celebrated by prayer ceremonies across the country.

History of Repentance Day

Repentance Day is intended to be a day of Christian prayer when people come together in church to pray and ask for forgiveness.

The purpose of the day is to encourage citizens to remember Papua New Guinea’s Christian heritage and focus on the repentance of sins for the more than 14 million people living on hundreds of islands in the Pacific Ocean

The holiday was first established by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill shortly after he became Prime Minister in 2011.

It was made a public holiday at the request of a group of churches, who had lobbied O'Neill's predecessor, Sam Abal.

The date has no obvious religious or historical significance, though at the time, Pastor Jack Edward from the Shema Evangelism Ministry, the Repentance Day co-ordinator, said that public holiday is observed on what was an annual, informal day of prayer.

Papua New Guinea undoubtedly considers itself a religious country with 95% of the population saying they were Christian in the 2011 census, with 70% of those following Protestant denominations.

In March 2025, Papua New Guinea passed a constitutional amendment declaring itself a Christian nation. As it seeks to live up to the way of Christ, it also has high rates of corruption, bribery, crime, and gender-based violence. Additionally, there are frequent cases of tribal and village-based violence, which affects locals, Christians, and missionaries, particularly in rural and highland areas.