It’s no secret that residents of Jamaica love a good party. Luckily for Jamaicans, there are numerous public holidays throughout the year where they can, as Bob Marley put it, “get together and feel alright”. While many Jamaican holidays and celebrations are similar to secular and religious events in the West, this island nation has its own unique festivals. In this piece, we’ll go through all the major Jamaican holidays and celebrations every tourist should be aware of.

1. New Year’s Day

Just like everyone else in the world, Jamaicans ring in the New Year on January 1st. The most popular place to be on December 31st is by Ocean Boulevard in Kingston for the annual fireworks display. Well over 250,000 people from around the world descend upon Kingston every New Year’s Eve to take in this elaborate display.

 

Many Jamaicans like to take revelry into their own hands and light firecrackers on the streets. Citizens who are a bit more pious, however, believe the most important thing to do early on New Year’s morning is to visit the church and thank God for his blessings in the previous year.

 

Fun fact: the only people who don’t celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1st are followers of Rastafarianism, an Afrocentric religion founded in Jamaica in the 1930s. Since Rastafaris regard Ethiopia as their spiritual homeland, they celebrate New Year’s on September 11th in accordance with Ethiopia’s calendar.

2. Accompong Maroon Festival

The Accompong Maroon Festival is an important historical event that takes place every January 6th in Accompong Town. Locals celebrate the Maroons’ victory over British colonists, which took place on this day in 1731. In addition to getting a good dose of history and learning all about the Maroon Captain Cudjoe, this festival has plenty of exceptional food, song, and dance. Although Accompong Maroon Festival isn’t one of the better-known Jamaican holidays and celebrations, it’s certainly worth your attention if you’re in the region.

3. Easter

About 65 percent of Jamaicans identify as Protestant and the major Christian holidays remain some of the most important Jamaican holidays and celebrations. While Easter might not be as big a deal as Christmas, it’s still an extremely important holiday for many Jamaicans.

 

One of the most distinctive features of Easter in Jamaica is the Easter cheese bun. Since many Jamaicans abstain from meat during this time of year, sales of cheese buns skyrocket during the Lent and Easter season. Definitely consider making this classic Jamaican dish at home if you can’t travel to Jamaica during Easter time.

 

Like most other Western countries, most Christian families go to church on Good Friday and first thing in the morning on Easter day. After church service, however, Jamaicans like to celebrate by taking the kids out to the country’s gorgeous beaches and flying kites. There are also numerous beautiful flower shows around Jamaica on Easter.

4. International Reggae Day

Every year on July 1st, Jamaica welcomes dozens of talented musicians from around the world to International Reggae Day in Kingston. Visitors’ ears are treated to some of the best live reggae music on earth. Festival organizers hoped this festival would bring the world together by using the latest in modern communications technology to share Jamaica’s favorite musical genre on the World Wide Web. So, even if you can’t visit Jamaica on International Reggae Day, you can still take part in the festivities online. Due to the popularity of this event, it’s highly advised you book your hotel rooms a few months in advance.

5. Labor Day

Like many other nations around the world, Jamaica celebrates Labor Day to honor its thousands of workers. Labor Day is a public holiday and is celebrated on May 23rd. Government officials encourage citizens to volunteer a bit of their time to help paint, re-build, or clean up buildings around the country on this day. While not mandatory, many Jamaicans set aside a few hours aside to lend a hand and come together as a community on this significant holiday.

6. Emancipation Day

Emancipation Day is another public holiday in Jamaica. This holiday, however, commemorates the signing of the Emancipation Declaration on August 1st, 1838, in which the British abolished the practice of slavery in their colonies. This proclamation was first read in Spanish Town, which was then the capital of Jamaica. Many Jamaicans celebrate this historic occasion by going to church or gathering in Spanish Town to hear a recitation of the original Emancipation Proclamation.

7. Independence Day

Since Independence Day is celebrated just five days after Emancipation Day. The two are often considered part of a week-long patriotic celebration. While the British released the Emancipation Proclamation in 1838, they didn’t formally grant Jamaica independence until 1962. Every church in Jamaica participates in a special flag raising ceremony on Independence Day morning.

 

There’s usually a major gala event and parade in Kingston’s Independence Stadium to help locals show their Jamaican pride. Government officials often organize special cultural events on this day and the names of people set to be honored on National Heroes’ Day are formally released. As you could imagine, Emancipation Day and Independence Day are some of the most important Jamaican holidays and celebrations.

8. National Heroes’ Day

Yet another patriotic holiday in Jamaica is National Heroes’ Day, which takes place on October 16th. As mentioned above, the government releases the names of each year’s National Heroes’ Day recipients on August 6th. Usually the Jamaican government allows seven new heroes to enter their official roster on National Heroes’ Day.

 

This annual holiday began in 1969 with the nomination of national heroes like Marcus Garvey and Paul Bogle. It’s still the dream of many loyal Jamaican citizens to one day be honored with the status of a national hero.

9. Christmas

 

Although Jamaica doesn’t get any snow, you’d better believe Santa Claus visits this Caribbean island every year. Many Jamaican families hang a Christmas tree inside their homes and put a few lights on outside. Christmas Eve is sometimes called “Grand Market” in Jamaica. This is due to all the street food and toy vendors that set up shops in different towns. There’s usually a ton of music, food, and dancing in the streets well into the wee hours of Christmas Eve.

On Christmas morning, Jamaicans go to the early morning service. They then spend the rest of the day meeting with family and friends. Usually Jamaicans exchange gifts after Christmas dinner. It traditionally consists of ham, roasted chicken, and, of course, traditional Jamaican fruit cake. Without a doubt, Christmas is one of the most popular Jamaican holidays and celebrations.

10. Boxing Day

If you’re of English descent, then you’ve probably already heard of Boxing Day (aka St. Stephen’s Day). This holiday, which takes place the day after Christmas, is still recognized in Jamaica. Nobody is really sure how this holiday started. One of the most prominent theories is that wealthy people in the UK often gave their servants “gift boxes” before they were sent off on a Christmas holiday break to their families.

 

Another theory suggests the “box” refers to the donation boxes for the poor at churches that were opened on December 26th. Whatever the case may be, Boxing Day is a day people are supposed to remember those who’ve provided an invaluable service throughout the year. In many nations, however, Boxing Day is treated more like Black Friday is in the USA.

Final Thoughts

The ten days listed above are the most significant Jamaican holidays and celebrations. It’s a great idea to visit Jamaica during a festive occasion to get a first-hand look at the unique energy of Jamaican culture. Hopefully this list has inspired you to learn more about Jamaica’s many holidays. You can even take part in one of the festivities when visiting the country.

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10