St. Eustatius Trades Carnival Monday For New Emancipation Public Holiday
Source:Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire (Kralendijk)
Posted: Thursday, January 14, 2021
During an extraordinary meeting, yesterday, the Island Council of St. Eustatius voted to cancel the annual Carnival Monday public holiday, traditionally held in St. Eustatius, and in its stead declare a new annual, July 1st, Emancipation Day, public holiday.
An early attempt to declare Emancipation Day as an additional public holiday was made in 2017, but it was opposed as a new public holiday would place a burden on businesses ("businesses would be put in financial difficulties should another public holiday be added, because employers would have to pay their employees 200 per cent for working on that day").
One of those who voted for the 2017 motion, council member Rechelline Leerdam pushed for a swap with an existing public holiday. The choice of Carnival Monday was made, according to council member Leerdam, "as not everyone on the island participates in Carnival, but Emancipation Day is a day to which everyone can relate".
Recall that, beginning in 2020, the Monday following Bonaire's Carnival (Karnaval), was no longer observed as a public holiday in Bonaire, having been traded for a new, July 1st, Emancipation Day annual public holiday (2020-01-30).
Note that the July 1st will probably be observed in 2022 for the first time.
Links and References
Below are links to the news stories referred to in the above "St. Eustatius Trades Carnival Monday For New Emancipation Public Holiday" news story, as well as links to subsequents news stories which refer to the present news story.
