Juneteenth National Independence Day 2023

Juneteenth is observed in the United States every year on June 19^th, and thus has the name Juneteenth. It commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The day also celebrates the anniversary of General Order No. 3, issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865 that proclaimed the freedom of slaves in Texas. Observation of the day began in Galveston, Texas and soon spread to various parts of the United States. Juneteenth began to be recognized as a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law in 2021. this article provides interesting details about Juneteenth National Independence Day 2023 like its history, celebration, faqs, etc.

Juneteenth National Independence Day Upcoming Events

Below mentioned are the upcoming dates for Juneteenth National Independence Day for the upcoming 5 years.

Juneteenth National Independence Day 2023 Overview

Significance

Every year, June 19^th is celebrated as Juneteenth all across the country to mark the end of slavery in the US and commemorate the freedom of African-Americans. It is one of the longest-running African-American holidays and is often termed as America’s second Independence Day.

History

The Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves in Texas and all the rebellious parts of Southern secessionist states of the Confederacy was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. Two years later, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of the civil war as well as that of slavery. Juneteenth thus became a symbolic date representing African-American freedom and began celebrated all over Galveston with church-centered community gatherings.

The holiday soon spread across the South and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s when it started to be celebrated as a major food festival. The celebrations were brought to the rest of the country by the people during the Great Migration. Juneteenth celebration was briefly eclipsed by the nonviolent determination to achieve civil rights during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. However, again in the 1970s its popularity began to rise, this time with a focus on African-American freedom and African-American arts.

Celebration

Early celebrations of Juneteenth date back to 1866 when it was observed with church gatherings, baseball, fishing and rodeos. Since African-Americans were often prohibited from using public facilities, celebrations were held at churches or near water. Celebrations improvised with time and started to get characterized by elaborate large meals and people dressing in their best clothing. Former slaves and their descendants also made a pilgrimage to Galveston to observe this day.

In many places, Juneteenth transformed into a multicultural holiday and new traditions like public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing traditional songs, recitation of works by noted African-American writers, etc were introduced. Nowadays, Juneteenth celebrations include picnics, rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, park parties, historical reenactments, blues festivals and Miss Juneteenth contests. Red food and drinks like red velvet cake and strawberry soda are also traditional during the Juneteenth celebrations as red represents resilience and joy.

Interesting Facts related to Juneteenth National Independence Day

Check out some interesting facts about the Juneteenth National Independence Day:

• The name Juneteenth is made from the combination of the words June and nineteenth.
• The state of Texas was the first state to declare Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980.
• The holiday was initially called as Jubilee Day.
• Juneteenth first took place in Galveston, Texas in June of 1865.
• Juneteenth has its own flag, created by the founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF) Ben Haith in 1997.
• Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021.
• Most states in the US viewed Juneteenth as a holiday before it was federalized.

Frequently Asked Questions