Emancipation Day in Sint Maarten commemorates the abolition of slavery in 1863, was officially declared a public holiday in 2012, and today serves as a day of remembrance, reflection, and celebration of cultural identity and freedom.

When is Emancipation Day?

Emancipation Day in Sint Maarten is celebrated every year on July 1.

The following is the list of Emancipation Day from 2020 to 2049.

The History of Emancipation Day?

From the 17th century onward, Sint Maarten was part of the transatlantic slave trade, where enslaved Africans were forced to work on plantations producing sugar, cotton, and other crops.

Life for enslaved people was marked by hard labor, harsh punishments, and restrictions on movement and culture, yet they preserved African traditions through music, storytelling, and community resilience. Acts of resistance, both open revolts and subtle defiance, were part of everyday life, laying the groundwork for freedom movements.

On July 1, 1863, the Netherlands officially abolished slavery in its Caribbean colonies, including Sint Maarten. About 3,000 enslaved people on the island were legally freed.

However, like in many colonies, freedom was not immediate in practice: formerly enslaved people were often required to sign forced labor contracts that tied them to plantations for another decade, limiting real independence.

For generations, descendants of the emancipated kept the memory alive through family stories, church services, and cultural traditions, even though the date was not officially recognized.

Over time, cultural activists, historians, and community leaders pushed for Emancipation Day to be formally recognized as part of Sint Maarten's heritage.

In 2012, Sint Maarten formally declared July 1 a national public holiday, giving Emancipation Day the official recognition it long deserved.