Emancipation Day in Jamaica welcomes visitors to many celebrations
Updated: Friday, June 10, 2011 5:05 pm
Jamaica's Emancipation Day on August 1 is a time for celebration throughout the island, and visitors on a Jamaica vacation can enjoy family-oriented festivities throughout this day.
As one of the country's most important public holidays, Emancipation Day commemorates the 1838 decree from England's Queen Victoria that declared the island's slaves were free. One of the biggest events is the Seville Emancipation Jubilee at Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann's Bay. The story of Jamaican ancestors will be told during guided tours of the former sugar plantation where the park is located.
The park is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and has beautiful picnic grounds overlooking the Caribbean and horseback riding. Activities during the jubilee focus on traditional Jamaican culture, including Jonkanoo folk dancing.
The island-wide holiday often begins on July 31 with all-night events that include games, live music and local cuisine. Celebrations that continue until dawn are intended to recreate the first day of freedom when day breaks on August 1.
Spanish Town in St. Catherine parish, St. Elizabeth parish - the island's farmland "breadbasket" in southwestern Jamaica - and Kingston have some of the largest celebrations on the island during Emancipation Day.
As one of the country's most important public holidays, Emancipation Day commemorates the 1838 decree from England's Queen Victoria that declared the island's slaves were free. One of the biggest events is the Seville Emancipation Jubilee at Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann's Bay. The story of Jamaican ancestors will be told during guided tours of the former sugar plantation where the park is located.
The park is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and has beautiful picnic grounds overlooking the Caribbean and horseback riding. Activities during the jubilee focus on traditional Jamaican culture, including Jonkanoo folk dancing.
The island-wide holiday often begins on July 31 with all-night events that include games, live music and local cuisine. Celebrations that continue until dawn are intended to recreate the first day of freedom when day breaks on August 1.
Spanish Town in St. Catherine parish, St. Elizabeth parish - the island's farmland "breadbasket" in southwestern Jamaica - and Kingston have some of the largest celebrations on the island during Emancipation Day.
