What Are the Three Main Holidays For Barbados?

The island country of Barbados in the Caribbean is a popular tourist destination, and a place that has a great deal of unique history behind it.  Barbados, like most other countries, has a variety of holidays which they celebrate throughout the year. Some of these holidays are traditional and stem from their former status as a colony controlled by the European nations, and some of their holidays are unique and relate to their own cultural heritage and are important dates which have meaning to the people of Barbados.

While many of the holidays in Barbados are similar to those celebrated elsewhere in the world, there are also three main holidays that are celebrated on the island of Barbados that deal specifically with Barbadian history and culture. These holidays are:

• Heroes Day - April 28th
• Emancipation Day - August 1st
• Kadooment Day - August 2nd

Heroes Day

Heroes Day, celebrated on April 28th, celebrates ten traditional Barbados heroes who had an impact on the way the country was formed and how it evolved into its present state.

This holiday is one of the main cultural holidays in Barbados, and it is not uncommon for schools to take part in the festivities. The holiday festivities are frequently used as a way for students to study and use their knowledge of Barbados’ history to celebrate individuals who have made an impact on the country and who have made it what it is today.  One of these heroes, Bussa, was the leader of a slave revolt that helped to form Barbados’ second most popular holiday- Emancipation Day.

Emancipation Day

Emancipation Day, celebrated on August 1st, celebrates the day that slavery was outlawed in the country of Barbados.

One of the key parts of the Emancipation Day celebration is a march towards the statue of Bussa, located on the ABC Highway. Bussa was a slave who helped to lead the longest slave revolt in the country of Barbados in 1816. 

Besides being recognized on Heroes day, he is also celebrated on Emancipation Day for his role in overthrowing the planters, who were the ruling class that kept the people of Barbados as slaves, harvesting sugar cane and other crops that made them wealthy.

Kadooment Day

The third most popular holiday in the country of Barbados is Kadooment Day, which is a celebration of the end of the sugar cane harvest. It is celebrated on August 2nd, the day after Emancipation Day, and it involves bands of revelers who play music and march through the streets after being judged on their performances at the National Stadium. Kadooment Day is widely celebrated by locals as well as tourists, and is a popular holiday full of the local color of Barbados.