Day of Liberation and Innovation in Suriname
The Day of Liberation and Innovation is associated with 25 February, the date of the 1980 military coup in Suriname. Although it was once designated a national day off, Suriname’s 2021 decrees removed 25 February from the lists of national free days and Sunday-equivalent rest days.[1][2]
What the date recalls
On 25 February 1980, a political upheaval took place in Suriname. The government’s 2021 explanatory note says that changes were announced with the stated aim of transforming the country’s situation, while also describing the coup’s direct consequences as social, societal and economic disruption.[1]
The date has carried different meanings in Surinamese society. The same government note acknowledges that views differ about the event’s status and character. It also argues that overthrowing an elected government conflicts with the principles of a democratic rule-of-law state.[1]
How its legal status changed
A 1981 state decree designated 25 February as Dag van Bevrijding en Vernieuwing, meaning Day of Liberation and Renewal, as a day off. In 1993, a later decree removed it from the statutory free-day list; the accompanying explanation said it should no longer be treated as a free day.[3]
In February 2021, the government amended the national rest-day rules and listed 15 nationwide days treated as equivalent to Sundays. The list includes several religious holidays and other named days, but not 25 February. The decree says it took effect on the day after publication.[1] A separate 2021 decree amended the national free-day rules and likewise removed 25 February from that list.[2]
What residents and visitors should know
The legal change means 25 February is not a nationwide Sunday-equivalent rest day under the 2021 decree. That decree does not establish a special substitute day for the date. The older free-day decree and the 2021 changes also do not set out a current programme of ceremonies, food customs or regional observances, so those details cannot be confirmed from these sources.[1][2][3]
Residents and travellers should check directly with the specific office, business or transport provider for its schedule on 25 February.[1]
Frequently asked questions
When is the Day of Liberation and Innovation?
The date associated with the observance is 25 February. The 2021 decree no longer includes that date among Suriname’s nationwide Sunday-equivalent rest days.[1]
Is 25 February a national day off in Suriname?
Will offices, banks, shops or public transport close?
Are there official ceremonies or traditional foods?
Check with local organisers for information about ceremonies or food customs.
Sources and references
Sources used for Day of Liberation and Innovation in Suriname:
- Staatsbesluit van 19 februari 2021, houdende nadere wijziging van het “Besluit Rustdagen 1971”- Overheid van de Republiek Suriname
- Staatsbesluit van 20 februari 2021, houdende nadere wijziging van het “Besluit Vrije Dagen 1971”- Staatsblad van de Republiek Suriname
- Arbeidswet- Overheid van de Republiek Suriname