Public holidays in Bermuda
Encyclopedia
This is a list of named Holidays in Bermuda
. Every Sunday is also considered a holiday.
Public holidays featured nearly a complete shut-down of Bermuda, with all public offices and stores closed. Not only was the sale of goods on public holidays made illegal, but offering items for sale and even allowing customers into a store constituted an offense. Hotel restaurants, pharmacies and stores that had been granted special licenses by the government were exempted from this.
In March 2005, the Bermuda government passed a major amendment to the Act that allowed stores to finally open. It required that employers give their staff at least seven days (written) notice of a need for their service; it also required that employers inform those employees of their right to refuse, and prohibited any sort of disciplinary action or dismissal for employees who did refuse.
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. Every Sunday is also considered a holiday.
| Name | | 2010 Date | | 2011 Date | | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day New Year's Day New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome... |
January 1 | January 1 | ||
| Good Friday Good Friday Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of... |
April 2 | April 22 | Notable for extensive kite Kite A kite is a tethered aircraft. The necessary lift that makes the kite wing fly is generated when air flows over and under the kite's wing, producing low pressure above the wing and high pressure below it. This deflection also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind... flying. |
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| Bermuda Day Bermuda Day Bermuda Day is a public holiday in the islands of Bermuda. Like certain other public holidays, it is always celebrated on May 24, or the weekday nearest May 24 if that date falls on the weekend.... |
May 24 | May 24 | Previously known as Victoria Day Victoria Day Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday. The date is also, simultaneously, that on which the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday is recognized... , Empire Day, and Commonwealth Day Commonwealth Day Commonwealth Day is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations held on the second Monday in March, and marked by a multi-faith service in Westminster Abbey, normally attended by HM Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth High... . |
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| National Heroes Day | June 21 | June 20 | This holiday began in 2008 and will be moved to the third Monday of June in 2010, replacing the Queen's Birthday. | |
| Emancipation Day Emancipation Day Emancipation Day is celebrated in many former British colonies in the Caribbean and areas of the United States on various dates in observance of the emancipation of slaves of African origin. It is also observed in other areas in regard to the abolition of serfdom or other forms of... |
July 29 | July 28 | First day of Cup Match Sports and recreation in Bermuda Sports are exceptionally popular in Bermuda, as there is a great need for recreation in such an isolated location.In Bermuda, Cricket and Football are the most popular sports. Cricket in particular now has a two-day holiday dedicated to it, called Cup Match... ; Known as Cup Match Day until 2000. |
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| Somers' Day | July 30 | July 29 | Second day of Cup Match Sports and recreation in Bermuda Sports are exceptionally popular in Bermuda, as there is a great need for recreation in such an isolated location.In Bermuda, Cricket and Football are the most popular sports. Cricket in particular now has a two-day holiday dedicated to it, called Cup Match... , after Sir George Somers. |
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| Labour Day | September 6 | September 5 | Established in 1982. | |
| Remembrance Day Remembrance Day Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth... |
November 11 | November 11 | ||
| Christmas Day | December 25 | December 25 | ||
| Boxing Day Boxing Day Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as... |
December 26 | December 26 |
Nature of Public Holidays
The official list of Public Holidays was set out in 1947 in the Public Holidays Act. Since then, the only change to the actual list has been the change of name of Cup Match Day to Emancipation Day at the end of 1999.Public holidays featured nearly a complete shut-down of Bermuda, with all public offices and stores closed. Not only was the sale of goods on public holidays made illegal, but offering items for sale and even allowing customers into a store constituted an offense. Hotel restaurants, pharmacies and stores that had been granted special licenses by the government were exempted from this.
In March 2005, the Bermuda government passed a major amendment to the Act that allowed stores to finally open. It required that employers give their staff at least seven days (written) notice of a need for their service; it also required that employers inform those employees of their right to refuse, and prohibited any sort of disciplinary action or dismissal for employees who did refuse.
External links
- http://www.bermuda-online.org/pubhols.htm Bermuda Online