Mary Prince Day honors Mary Prince, a Bermudian woman whose autobiography, The History of Mary Prince (1831), was the first account of a Black woman's life published in Britain. Her courageous testimony exposed the brutality of slavery in the Caribbean and Bermuda, helping to advance the abolitionist movement. Falling during the Cup Match holiday weekend, it joins Emancipation Day in commemorating the island's enduring fight for justice and equality.

When is Mary Prince Day?

Mary Prince Day is observed on the Friday before the first Monday in August each year.

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

The History of Mary Prince Day?

Mary Prince Day is celebrated in Bermuda to honor Mary Prince (1788–after 1833), a Bermudian woman whose courage and testimony against slavery helped change history.

Mary Prince was born into slavery in Bermuda, likely in Devonshire Parish, around 1788. She was sold multiple times during her life, separated from her family, and subjected to years of abuse in Bermuda, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Antigua. Despite the brutal conditions she endured, she remained determined to speak out against injustice.

In 1828, Prince accompanied her enslavers to England, where slavery did not legally exist. There, she left her enslavers and sought refuge with members of the Anti-Slavery Society, a group campaigning to end slavery across the British Empire. In 1831, with the help of abolitionists Thomas Pringle and Susanna Strickland (later Moodie), she dictated her autobiography, The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself.

Her book was the first known account of a Black woman's life published in Britain, and it provided a raw, first-hand description of the horrors of slavery in the Caribbean and Bermuda. The narrative had a profound impact on the British public, strengthening support for the abolitionist movement and influencing the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which came into effect in 1834.

For nearly two centuries, Mary Prince's story remained known mainly among historians and scholars of abolitionist literature. However, her importance as a Bermudian and as a global symbol of resistance and truth-telling was formally recognized when she was declared Bermuda's first National Hero in 2012.

Until 2020, the second day of the Cup Match holiday was simply known as the "Somerset vs. St. George's Day", linked to the island's annual cricket rivalry. In 2020, amid growing recognition of Black history and identity, the Bermuda government officially renamed the second day of Cup Match as Mary Prince Day to honor her legacy and reaffirm Bermuda's commitment to equality and cultural pride.

Today, Mary Prince Day is celebrated through cultural events, educational exhibits, art, and performances that honor her contribution to freedom and human rights. It coincides with the second day of Cup Match, where Bermudians of all backgrounds come together to enjoy cricket, music, and community gatherings.