Emancipation Day is a public holiday celebrated in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and it is observed on August 1 each year. The holiday commemorates the anniversary of when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into force and the abolishment of slavery in the Turks and Caicos Islands on August 1, 1834.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory comprising the larger Caicos Islands, the smaller Turks Islands, and many cays and islets. Europeans settled on the islands in the middle of the 17th century, and the islands became a British colony in 1783.
The early settlers brought the slaves to the islands and they were forcibly worked in the cotton plantations, which were superseded by the salt industry. Over the years, the number of slaves became the main labor force and outnumbered the European settlers. In 1834, the British Empire terminated slavery on the islands.
The following is the list of Emancipation Day in the Turks and Caicos Islands from 2022 to 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Emancipation Day | Aug 01, 2022 | Monday |
| Emancipation Day | Aug 01, 2023 | Tuesday |
| Emancipation Day | Aug 01, 2024 | Thursday |
| Emancipation Day | Aug 01, 2025 | Friday |
| Emancipation Day | Aug 01, 2026 | Saturday |
Please check more public holidays in the Turks and Caicos Islands: