This Independence Day celebration isn’t one that’s actually celebrated in Cuba. Cuba’s actual celebration of its independence occurs on October 10th and commemorates its struggle for independence from Spain in 1868. This celebration is actually only commemorated by anti-Cuban groups—particularly in South Florida and is observed on May 20th annually.
It’s not a holiday that’s observed by Cuba, and in fact, the Cuban government has called this holiday insulting and has called the holiday a celebration of the “Yankee neo-colony that survived until the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959.
Some Context About This Holiday
This day was first proclaimed a holiday by U.S President Donald Trump in 2017 and it initially brought on a strong response from the Cuban Government. The United States continues to insist that May 20th is the correct date of Cuban Independence because that is when the U.S assumed military control of Cuba on May 20, 1902.
Interesting Facts About Cuba
Let’s explore a few of the interesting facts that we’ve learned about Cuba while researching this controversial holiday. Below are just some of the facts that we think everyone reading about this holiday is going to appreciate about Cuba.
- Cuba is roughly the size of Tennessee in total land area.
- Half of Cuba’s 38,000 miles of roadways are unpaved.
- Dominoes is the national game of Cuba.
- Bacardi was originally manufactured in Cuba, but production moved to Puerto Rico after Castro took over the island.
- In January of 1998, Pope John Paul II visited Cuba.
- The highest point in Cuba is Pico Turquino—it has a height of approximately 6,476-feet.
Observing Cuban Independence Day
This holiday isn’t observed by Cubans but is instead observed by Cuban immigrants living in the U.S and those who have a vested interest in the current regime in Cuba being overthrown. As such, it’s become somewhat of a controversial holiday over the past few years.
When is Independence Day in Cuba? |
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| This year (2023) | May 20 (Saturday) |
| Next year (2024) | May 20 (Monday) |
| Last year (2022) | May 20 (Friday) |