Juneteenth in the United States

Juneteenth on June 19 commemorates the day in 1865 when Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation and freed all remaining slaves in Texas. In 2021, it became the United States' newest federal holiday.

Is Juneteenth a Public Holiday?

On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed a law that made Juneteenth a federal holiday. Due to the short time between the signing of the bill and implementation of the bill, many but not all federal employees will have a day off on Friday, June 18. This is because in 2021, Juneteenth falls on a Saturday.

Following the federal government's lead, many states have also declared Friday, June 18 as a holiday for non-essential state employees.

What Do People Do?

Juneteenth is an opportunity for people to celebrate freedom and equal rights in the United States.

A range of public, community and private events are held to celebrate Juneteenth, often on a weekend close to June 19. These include:

• Pot luck outdoor cookouts, barbecues or picnics.
• Baseball games.
• Workplace lunches.
• Rodeos.
• Neighborhood or block parties.
• Community flag-raising ceremonies.
• Juneteenth displays in city halls, libraries, schools, and post offices.
• Essay or artwork competitions for young people.
• Presentations of community service awards.
• The distribution of Juneteenth buttons, t-shirts, mugs, and bags.

Some people also decorate conference rooms or corridors at their workplace, and their neighborhoods and yards with Juneteenth banners, yard signs, and flags to raise awareness of the event.

Background

Slavery in the United States can be traced back to the 16th century when Spanish explorers brought African slaves with them to the New World. It lasted until the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect on January 1, 1863. On that date Texas was largely controlled by forces fighting for the Confederate States, which opposed the abolition of slavery. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived to take control of Texas and enforce the emancipation of slaves in the state. In Galveston, Texas, the newly freed slaves held large public celebrations and so laid the base for future Juneteenth activities. The word 'Juneteenth' resulted from the words 'June Nineteenth' being combined together in speech.

After 1865, Juneteenth was mainly celebrated in Texas. Parks have been established on land bought by former slaves to hold Juneteenth celebrations in the Texan cities of Austin, Houston, and Mexia. However, it is now a state holiday or observance in more than half of the US states and there is a campaign for Juneteenth to become a national holiday or observance throughout the nation. Juneteenth celebrations are also held in other countries around the world, including Ghana, Honduras, Japan, Taiwan, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Symbols

The Juneteenth flag consists of a rectangle. The lower part of the rectangle is red and the upper part is blue and it has a solid white, five-pointed star at its center. The star is surrounded by a white outline of a 12-pointed star. The Juneteenth flag is often displayed with the United States flag to symbolize that slavery is illegal.

In Texas and some other southern states, the traditional drink on Juneteenth is Big Red soda. This variety of cream soda is a sweet, soft drink flavored with orange and lemon oils and vanilla. It is available in different flavors and with or without caffeine and sugar.

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.