Hurricane Supplication Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Hurricane Supplication Day is observed on the fourth Monday in July in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its name reflects a tradition of praying for protection during hurricane season, although the Atlantic season officially begins earlier, on June 1.[1][3][4]
A holiday with a complex legal footing
The U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Personnel’s rules list Hurricane Supplication Day as a paid holiday for government employees, unless they are specifically scheduled to work. A Judicial Branch personnel manual also identifies the fourth Monday in July as Supplication Day and describes holiday leave for court employees.[1][2]
The paid holiday entitlement applies to government employees covered by the rules; it does not establish a day off for every private-sector worker.[1]
Prayer and hurricane season
A 1996 report from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America records that Reformation Lutheran Church on St. Thomas held special services for Hurricane Supplication Day, a traditional day of prayer for deliverance from the coming hurricane season.[3]
The day falls in July, but it does not mark the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center sets that season from June 1 through November 30, and the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency gives the same dates for the USVI.[4][5]
What visitors should expect
The personnel rules describe paid holiday leave for government employees, with an exception for employees specifically scheduled to work. They do not set out closure rules for banks, shops, hotels, or ferries. Visitors should check directly with the office, business, or transport operator they plan to use.[1]
Check with local organisers for details of particular foods, island customs, or public programmes.
Frequently asked questions
When is Hurricane Supplication Day observed?
Is it a public holiday or a day off?
Government personnel rules list paid holiday leave unless an employee is scheduled to work. Check with individual employers or businesses about time off.[1]
Do government offices, banks, shops, or ferries close?
The personnel rules support paid holiday leave for covered government employees. Check with the specific office, bank, shop, or ferry service before travelling.[1]
What do people do on the day?
A church on St. Thomas held special services, and the day is a time to pray for protection from the coming hurricane season.[3]
Sources and references
Sources used for Hurricane Supplication Day in U.S. Virgin Islands:
- Personnel Rules and Regs- Division of Personnel, Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands
- Judicial Branch Personnel Manual (Final) Revised Disclaimer- Judicial Branch of the Virgin Islands
- Lutheran Disaster Response Reports St. Thomas Rebuilding Slowed- ELCA News Service
- Hurricanes- Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency
- Tropical Cyclone Climatology- National Hurricane Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration