Abolition Day is a public holiday in Reunion, observed on December 20 each year. The holiday commemorates when slavery was abolished in the Reunion in 1848.
Reunion is an overseas department and region of France, an island in the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese explorers first arrived here in the early 16th century but did not take action. France officially occupied the island in 1642 and became a colony in 1665. People from Africa, India, Malay, and China immigrated to the island in the next two centuries. Most non-European immigrants worked as slave laborers in the sugarcane or other agricultural plantations.
On April 27, 1848, the French government announced the abolition of slavery in its colonies and granted citizenship to the emancipated slaves. On December 20, 1848, slavery was abolished in Reunion, which led to the labor shortage. As a result, more indentured laborers were brought to the island for the plantations.
The following is the Abolition Day in Reunion list from 2022 to 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Abolition Day | Dec 20, 2022 | Tuesday |
| Abolition Day | Dec 20, 2023 | Wednesday |
| Abolition Day | Dec 20, 2024 | Friday |
| Abolition Day | Dec 20, 2025 | Saturday |
| Abolition Day | Dec 20, 2026 | Sunday |
Please check more public holidays in Reunion:
