Events
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Mary Prince Day
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.
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Grand Magal de Touba
The Grand Magal de Touba is a massive religious pilgrimage in Senegal, honoring the exile and return of Cheikh Amadou Bamba, founder of the Mouride Brotherhood. It is marked by prayer, charity, and community gathering, drawing millions of participants each year to Touba.
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August Bank Holiday
The August Bank Holiday in Ireland was introduced as part of 19th-century bank holiday legislation but draws on much older traditions of Lughnasadh harvest festivals. Today, it is celebrated with festivals, fairs, sports and holidays, marking the peak of the Irish summer.
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Emancipation Monday (BVI)
Emancipation Monday in British Virgin Islands honors the abolition of slavery on August 1, 1834, when enslaved Africans in the Virgin Islands and across the British Empire were granted freedom under the Slavery Abolition Act. The day is both a reminder of the struggles of the past and a celebration of freedom and resilience.
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Commerce Day (Iceland)
Once created as a holiday for shopkeepers and workers, Commerce Day has grown into Iceland's biggest summer festival weekend. It's celebrated with concerts, camping and community events across the country.
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Carnival Monday (Antigua and Barbuda)
Carnival Monday in Antigua and Barbuda marks the vibrant opening of the island’s Carnival celebrations. It follows the traditional J’ouvert morning festivities, when revelers take to the streets before dawn with music, dancing, and colorful paint and powder. The day celebrates freedom, creativity, and national pride, tracing its roots to the emancipation of enslaved Africans in 1834 and symbolizing the spirit of liberation and unity across the twin-island nation.
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Emancipation Tuesday (BVI)
Emancipation Tuesday in British Virgin Islands extends the holiday beyond a single day, showing the depth of importance emancipation holds in the BVI’s identity. It keeps alive both the joy of freedom and the cultural pride of Virgin Islanders.
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Carnival Tuesday (Antigua and Barbuda)
Carnival Tuesday in Antigua and Barbuda is the dazzling climax of the island’s Carnival celebrations. Revelers showcase elaborate designs competing for top band honors, while the atmosphere radiates color, pride and unity. The day marks the grand finale of the two-week Carnival season, a joyful tribute to freedom, creativity and Antiguan and Barbudan cultural heritage that began in the wake of emancipation.
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Our Lady of Africa
Our Lady of Africa in Spain refers to the Patroness of Ceuta, venerated since the 15th century. Her shrine and image remain central to the city’s identity, and her annual feast is one of Ceuta’s most important celebrations, blending faith, history, and culture.
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Emancipation Wednesday (BVI)
Emancipation Wednesday in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a public holiday, forming the third and final official holiday of the annual Emancipation Festival. It honors the abolition of slavery on August 1, 1834, when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 freed enslaved Africans across the British Empire, including the Virgin Islands.
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Indigenous Peoples Day Suriname
Indigenous Peoples Day in Suriname, known as Keti Koti, is to mark the abolition of slavery in 1863 (with full freedom realized in 1873). Celebrated with ceremonies, parades, music, and traditional dress, it is a national day of remembrance and cultural pride, symbolizing the breaking of chains and the enduring spirit of freedom.
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National Women's Day
National Women’s Day commemorates the 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, when more than 20,000 women of all races protested against the apartheid government’s pass laws. These laws required Black South Africans to carry pass books (internal passports), restricting their movement and reinforcing racial segregation.