Antigua and Barbuda certainly do not have as many public
holidays as other countries, but there are many local festivals that take place
all year round, including the Antigua and Barbuda Literary Festival (I would
LOVE to attend!).
January 1. New Year’s Day. Antiguans bring in the New Year with a huge gala affair.
There are barbecues on the beach, lots of food and drinks. Decorations are usually still up from
Christmas. Most bars stay open extra late, usually until dawn. Fireworks and
live music fill the night. On New Year’s Day itself, there is a costume parade
that takes place. It seems that
New Years is almost as festive as Carnival.
First Monday in May. Labour Day. Most people take this time off from work to spend with their
families and friends. Many people
enjoy a barbecue on the beach with a lot of good food and drink. Some also
prefer to travel to the sister-island of Barbuda (about 30 miles northeast from
the island of Antigua). There are also parades going on during the day as well
that are hosted by various trade union organizations.
July 3. CARICOM Day.
CARICOM stands for Caribbean Community, an organization and agreement
among 15 Caribbean nations, mostly members of the English-speaking
countries. It celebrates the
signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas (1973). There are TV specials on and a lot
of political speeches regarding the state of nation as a CARICOM member.
Late July-early August. Antigua Carnival. This is a HUGE
festival in Antigua. It’s filled with talent shows, concerts, parades with lots
of elaborate costumes, food, drink, and partying. It’s practically non-stop for
11 days. I guess if you were going to head to Antigua, you’d probably want to
go for Carnival.
November 1. Independence
Day. Antigua and Barbuda gained
independence from the United Kingdom in 1981. Everywhere in Antigua and
Barbuda, businesses and schools start decorating for the holiday weeks in
advance. Many people will celebrate with barbecues, parades, and lots of
traditional food and drink. People will also wear traditional clothing and the
national colors of yellow and red around this time as well.
December 9.
National Heroes Day. There
are four people designated as National Heroes, to which they are honored: Sir
Vere Cornwall Bird (first prime minister of Antigua, you’ll find his named
attached to a variety of buildings, the airport, etc.), King Court (led a slave
rebellion), Dame Ellen Georgian Nellie Robinson (leader in education), and Sir
Vivian Richards (great cricket player).
December 25.
Christmas. Christmas is celebrated around food and drink. Many people
prefer stew pork as the traditional Christmas meal. There are usually several
other side dishes and desserts that surround the main dish. There is still decorating and Christmas lights and caroling, but there is also a lot of other music and outdoor activities as
well. However, this is still a holiday that is spent with family and friends. A
lot of the traditions in Antigua were brought over from the British, except
with a notable island twist.
December 26. Boxing
Day. I have seen this holiday listed as a Canadian and UK holiday, but had no
idea what it was. Apparently, it’s traditionally the day that you take your Christmas
boxes and share its contents with the poor. (A Christmas box is a wooden or clay
box used to put gifts in.) These days, it’s customary to tip those who provide
services and to donate gifts to charity. Some employers would give bonuses to
its workers, and schools will sometimes create a Christmas box with items to
send to poorer countries.
Up next: Arts and Literature
Resources:
Wikipedia: “Public holidays in Antigua and Barbuda”
“CARICOM” “Antigua Carnival”
Independence Day: http://www.antiguanice.com/v2/client.php?id=769
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