Gospel Day is a public holiday in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and it is observed on the first Friday in December each year. The holiday commemorates the anniversary of when the first Christian missionaries arrived on the island in 1857.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands is an independent island country in the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish explorer landed on the islands in 1526. Spain formally claimed the islands in 1874 but sold them to Germany in 1885.
Japan assumed control of the Marshall Islands in World War I and surrendered after the defeat in World War II. As a result, the United Nations created the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) in 1947 and was under the United States administration.
In 1857, the first American missionaries landed at Jailut Atoll and established Congregationalist churches across the islands. Although there are other religions, over half of the population belongs to the United Church of Christ – Congregational in the Marshall Islands, the largest religious group with approximately 40,000 members.
The following is the list of Gospel Day in the Republic of the Marshall Islands from 2022 to 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Gospel Day | Dec 02, 2022 | Friday |
| Gospel Day | Dec 01, 2023 | Friday |
| Gospel Day | Dec 06, 2024 | Friday |
| Gospel Day | Dec 05, 2025 | Friday |
| Gospel Day | Dec 04, 2026 | Friday |
Please check more public holidays in the Republic of the Marshall Islands: