Mary Prince Day is a public holiday in Bermuda, and it is observed on the day following Emancipation Day, normally the Friday before the first Monday in August.
Mary Prince was born into enslavement at Devonshire Parish in 1788. She was sold several times to different slave owners in her life and suffered physical and mental abuse. In 1815, Adams Wood bought her as a domestic slave, and in 1828, when Adams Wood and his family traveled to London, they brought Mary to travel together as a servant.
The conflicts increased when they were in England, and Mary left the household and took shelter in a church. She soon started working occasionally for Thomas Pringle, a Scottish writer and the Secretary to the Anti-Slavery Society. Encouraged by Pringle, her life narrative was transcribed by Susanna Strickland, and then edited by Pringle. In 1831, Mary published her book The History of Mary Prince.
The History of Mary Prince was the first book of its kind and Mary was the first black woman to publish a slave narrative about the brutality of slavery. It is widely believed that the book played a decisive role in the abolishment of slavery.
In February 2020, the Bermuda Parliament approved to change Somers Day to Mary Prince Day in honor of Mary Prince and her legend of the abolitionist movement in Britain. Mary Prince was nominated as the national heroine in Bermuda in 2012.
The following is the list of Mary Prince Day in Bermuda from 2022 to 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Prince Day | Jul 29, 2022 | Friday |
| Mary Prince Day | Aug 04, 2023 | Friday |
| Mary Prince Day | Aug 02, 2024 | Friday |
| Mary Prince Day | Aug 01, 2025 | Friday |
| Mary Prince Day | Jul 31, 2026 | Friday |
Please check more public holidays in Bermuda: