National Heroes And Heroines Day
National Heroes and Heroines Day is a holiday that’s observed in Anguilla on the 19th of December. It’s a day that celebrates, honors, and commemorates all of the people who have sacrificed and contributed to the country. This date in December is also the date when Anguilla fully seceded from the territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.
That’s why this holiday was originally known as Separation Day—a name that was changed only a few years ago to this holiday’s current name. This is a holiday that’s celebrated with a good amount of fervor in Anguilla and many people celebrate it on this day.
The History of National Heroes And Heroines Day
In 1962, this country was married to St. Kitts and Nevis, an associated statehood that ended up brewing resentment in Anguilla. This eventually came to a head in 1967 when the Anguilla people marched on the Police HQ and evicted the Royal St. Kitts Police Force from the island. On December 19, 1980, Anguilla would end up fully seceding from the territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. In honor of this event, Separation Day was established.
Separation Day would eventually become renamed National Heroes and Heroines Day. Although a number of countries throughout the Caribbean have a National Heroes Day, Anguilla is the only one that also includes heroines in its title.
Observing National Heroes And Heroines Day
Because this is a holiday that falls right before Christmas, a lot of tourists visit Anguilla on or around this day to get sort of a winter vacation in. That means that the island tends to be busy at this time, but that doesn’t prevent people from enjoying this holiday.
People are enjoying the beaches on this day, visiting local restaurants and cafes, and spending time with friends and family members. People also use the hashtag #NationalHeroesAndHeroinesDay on their social media accounts to spread the word about this holiday to everyone around the world.