National Heroes and Heroines Day in Anguilla

A public holiday with two official names

The Government’s national holidays calendar uses the name National Heroes and Heroines. The regulations made under the Public Holidays Act list 19 December as Separation Day and designate it a public holiday.[1][2]

The regulations say that if 19 December falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the previous Friday is a public holiday.[2]

What the date marks in Anguilla

The date has a specific constitutional meaning for Anguilla. The Government’s history account says that on 19 December 1980 Anguilla became a separate Dependent Territory with some measure of autonomy in government, after years of debate over its political relationship with Saint Kitts and Nevis.[3]

The same account traces the political dispute to associated statehood and the Anguilla Revolution. It identifies 30 May 1967, when the Royal Saint Kitts Police Force was repelled from the island, as the event commemorated by Anguilla Day. That distinction helps explain why 19 December marks a separate stage in Anguilla’s political history.[3]

The connection with jollification

Executive Council records have used the combined name National Heroes and Heroines Day / National Jollification Day. Council also noted that jollification was a traditional custom of significance in Anguillian history and should be highlighted within an existing public holiday.[4]

Check local announcements for details of any events, foods or customs for the day.[4]

Planning around the holiday

Check opening hours with government offices and banks before you go. Check with an employer or service provider about private business, bank and transport arrangements before making plans.[1][2]