Jamaica Public Holidays News and Updates

2021 (public news feed delayed by 30 days)

• Dec
• 14
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• Jamaica Declares December 27 Public Holiday

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - Jamaica's Ministry of Labour and Social Security has announced that Monday, December 27, 2021, would be observed as a one-off public holiday in Jamaica ("the Minister of Labour and Social Security, by virtue of his powers under Section 7 of the Holidays (Public General) Act, has appointed Monday, December 27, 2021 as a Public General Holiday.").
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• Jul
• 27
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• Jamaican Public Holidays Augut 2 and 6

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - Jamaica's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, has confirmed the observance of the Emancipation Day public holiday and the Independence Day public holiday, on August 2 and August 6, 2021, respectively.
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• Jan
• 21
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• Jamaica Releases Banks Holiday For 2026

  Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) - The Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica's Central Bank, has released the official list of bank holidays in Jamaica for the calendar year 2026.
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2020

• Jul
• 15
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• Jamaica Confirms August 1st Emancipation Public Holiday

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) has issued a JIS news release in which it rules-out the declaration of Monday, August 3, 2020, as a one-off day in lieu non-working public holiday in Jamaica, to compensate the fact that this year's Emancipation Day public holiday will fall on a Saturday ("Emancipation Day – a Public Holiday – will be observed on Saturday, August 1, 2020, as scheduled").
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• Jan
• 9
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• Jamaica Releases Banks Holiday For 2025

  Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) - The Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica's Central Bank, has released the official list of bank holidays in Jamaica for the calendar year 2025.
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2019

• Jan
• 6
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• Jamaica Releases Banks Holiday For 2024

  Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) - The Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica's Central Bank, has released the official list of bank holidays in Jamaica for the calendar year 2024.
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2018

• Feb
• 12
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• Jamaica Releases Banks Holiday For 2023

  Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) - The Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica's Central Bank, has released the official list of bank holidays in Jamaica for the calendar year 2023.
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2017

• Aug
• 4
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• Jamaican Public Holiday August 6-7

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Jamaica, has announced that the upcoming Independence Day non-working public holiday of Jamaica would be observed on Monday, August 7, 2017.
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• May
• 6
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• Jamaica Releases Banks Holiday For 2021 and 2022

  Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) - The Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica's Central Bank, has released the official list of bank holidays in Jamaica for the calendar years 2021 and 2022.
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2016

• Dec
• 16
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• Jamaican Public Holiday January 2

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Director of Legal Services of Jamaica's Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), Camille Bennett-Campbell, has announced that the upcoming New Year's Day non-working public holiday of Jamaica would be observed on Monday, January 2, 2017.
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• Dec
• 8
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• Jamaican 2017 Public Holidays Announced

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Government of Jamaica has released the official list of non-working public holidays in Jamaica for the calendar year 2017.
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• Jul
• 28
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• Jamaican August 8 Public Holiday Ruled-Out

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Minister of Labour and Social Security of Jamaica, Shahine Robinson, has issued a joint JIS/MLSS (Ministry of Labour and Social Security) news release in which she rules-out the declaration of Monday, August 8, 2016, as a one-off day in lieu non-working public holiday in Jamaica, to compensate the fact that this year's Independence Day annual non-working public holiday will fall on a Saturday.
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2015

• Dec
• 22
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• Jamaican December 28 Public Holiday Ruled-Out

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Director of Legal Services at the Jamaican Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Camille Bennett-Campbell, has issued a JIS news release in which she rules-out the declaration of Monday, December 28, 2015, as a one-off day in lieu non-working public holiday in Jamaica, to compensate the fact that this year's Boxing Day annual non-working public holiday will fall on a weekend.
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• Nov
• 4
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• Jamaican 2016 Public Holidays Announced

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Government of Jamaica has released the official list of 2016 non-working public holidays in Jamaica.
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• Jul
• 21
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• Jamaican August 3 Public Holiday Ruled-Out

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Director of Legal Services at the Jamaican Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Camille Bennett-Campbell, has issued a JIS news release in which she rules-out the declaration of Monday, August 3, 2015, as a one-off day in lieu non-working public holiday in Jamaica, to compensate the fact that this year's Emancipation Day annual non-working public holiday will fall on a weekend.
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• Jan
• 11
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• Jamaican Bank Holidays 2019-2020

  Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) - The Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica's Central Bank, has released the official list of bank holidays in Jamaica for the calendar years 2019 and 2020.
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2013

• Mar
• 16
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• Jamaican Bank Holidays 2016-2018

  Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) - The Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica's Central Bank, has released the official list of bank holidays in Jamaica for the calendar years 2016, 2017, and 2018.
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2012

• Oct
• 10
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• Jamaican 2015 Public Holidays Announced

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Government of Jamaica has released the official list of 2015 non-working public holidays in Jamaica.
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• Aug
• 17
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• Jamaican August 17 Public Holiday Update

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Government of Jamaica has finally declared August 17 as Marcus Garvey Day in honour of the nation's first National Hero.
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2011

• Oct
• 21
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• Jamaican 2014 Public Holidays Announced

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Government of Jamaica has released the official list of 2014 non-working public holidays in Jamaica.
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• Aug
• 18
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• Jamaican Call For August 17 Public Holiday

  The Jamaica Gleaner (Kingston) - A former Jamaican Senator, Barbara Makeda Blake-Hannah, has called for the declaration of Friday, August 17, 2012, as a one-off official non-working public holiday in Jamaica.
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2010

• Dec
• 24
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• Jamaica Declares December 27 Public Holiday

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - Jamaica's Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles, has announced that, after consultations with the Prime Minister and the Attorney General, Monday, December 27, 2010, had been declared a one-off public holiday in Jamaica.
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• Oct
• 10
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• Jamaican 2013 Public Holidays Announced

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - The Government of Jamaica has released the official list of 2013 non-working public holidays in Jamaica.
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• Jul
• 30
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• Jamaica Declares August 2 Public Holiday

  Jamaica Information Service (JIS) - Jamaica's Ministry of Labour and Social Security has announced that the annual, August 1st, Emancipation Day public holidays would be observed on Monday, August 2, this year.
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2009

• Aug
• 1
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• Jamaica Declares August 8 National Day Of Mourning

  Jamaica Information Service (Kingston) - Jamaica's Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, has announced that Saturday, August 8, 2009, had been declared a national day of mourning.
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• Apr
• 3
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• Jamaica Reverting To August 1st Public Holiday

  Jamaica Information Service (Kingston) - Jamaica's Information Service has issued a release stating that, in 2009, the Emancipation Day public holiday would be observed on Saturday, August 1st.
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• Apr
• 2
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• Jamaica Tending Towards Days In Lieu For Saturday Public Holidays

  The Jamaica Observer (Kingston) - Jamaica's Labour and Social Security Minister, Pearnel Charles, has announced that Monday, August 3, 2009, would be a public holiday in Jamaica, as the August 1st Emancipation Day public holiday falls on a Saturday in 2009.
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• Jan
• 8
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• Jamaica Releases List Of 2009 Official Public Holidays

  Jamaica Ministry of Labour & Social Security Communications Unit - Jamaica's Ministry of Labour has released its list of the official 2009 public holidays.
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2008

• Aug
• 21
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• Jamaica's PM Considering Public Holiday To Celebrate Olympic Medals

  Reuters - Earlier tonight, Bruce Golding, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, told Reuters he hoped to declare a national public holiday after the current Olympic Games to celebrate the island's success (as of tonight, Jamaica has collected seven athletics medals, including gold in three sprints).
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• May
• 27
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• Jamaica To Consider More National Heritage Public Holidays

  Jamaica Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports - The Chairman of the Jamaica National Bicentenary Committee, Professor Verene Shepherd, has called for an expansion of the national heritage calendar to embrace all the critical moments in the country's history that have helped to shape the nation.
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2007

• Nov
• 15
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• Jamaica Announces December 5th Local Government Elections

  Radio Jamaica - Prime Minister Bruce Golding announced that local government elections would occur on Wednesday December 5th.
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• Aug
• 31
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• Jamaica's Banks Will Close Afternoon Of September 3

  Jamaica Gleaner News - The Jamaica Bankers' Association (JBA) has advised that all 10 commercial and merchant banks will close at noon on Monday, September 3, 2007, on the day of the upcoming national election.
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1997

• Nov
• 16
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• Jamaica Declares November 17 Public Holiday

  The Jamaica Gleaner (Kingston) - The government of Jamaica has declared Monday, November 17, 1997, a one-off public holiday to celebrate today's Jamaican national football team qualification for the 1998 World Cup finals.
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• Jul
• 4
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• Jamaica Declares 4-Day Emancipation Day Public Holiday

  The Jamaica Gleaner (Kingston) - The government of Jamaica has announced that to celebrate Jamaica's 35th anniversary of independence, it had declared a four-day "Emancipation Day" public holiday celebration from Tuesday, August 1st to Friday, August 4th, 1997.
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1996

• Aug
• 30
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• Jamaican Public Holidays Amendments

  The Jamaica Gleaner (Kingston) - The government of Jamaica has announced that it would follow the recommendations of the committee headed by Professor Rex Nettleford, and re-instate the Emancipation day annual non-working public holiday in Jamaica, effective next August 1997.
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• Feb
• 24
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• Jamaica To Review Annual Public Holidays

  The Jamaica Gleaner (Kingston) - Jamaica Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson, has appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Professor Rex Nettleford to review the list of official non-working public holidays in Jamaica.
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