National Heroes' Day in 2024

When is National Heroes Day?

National Heroes Day is a public holiday in the Bahamas and is celebrated annually on the second Monday in October.

This holiday honours Bahamian national heroes.

History of National Heroes Day

This holiday has only been a national public holiday since 2013.

National Heroes Day has replaced Discovery Day, which was celebrated on October 12th each year. Discovery Day marked the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas on October 12th 1492.

Columbus made landfall at an island in the Bahamas, which he named San Salvador, though it is not sure which island in the Bahamas this actually was.

For some, the arrival of Europeans in the Americas is seen as a negative event for the indigenous peoples in the region and also led to the rise in the slave trade. As a result of this changing attitude towards celebrating the arrival of Columbus and wanting to break with the colonial past, National Heroes Day was made a replacement holiday in 2013. Several other countries in the region have also adopted National Heroes Day, but not all are celebrated at the same time.

Legislation to declare October as National Heroes Month and the Second Monday as National Heroes Day and establish a system of National Honors was passed in the National Heroes Act 2007. In October 2013, Governor-General Sir Arthur Foulkes gave assent to the passage of the bill to create National Heroes Day and remove Discovery Day.

How is Bahamas National Heroes Day celebrated?

Banks/businesses and many shops will be closed on this public holiday. An official National Heroes Day ceremony is held with a keynote speech by the Prime Minister. National Heroes will be celebrated with a week of activities to honour heroes from a cross-section of civil society.