The National Day of Grenada is on the 7th February (Independence from United Kingdom 1974). Grenada was a British colony for over 200 years before the arrival of independence. This process towards independence started in the 1960’s with the Grenada National Party.
National Day of Grenada
The process towards independence of Grenada began in 1950 when the Grenada National Party was formed and began advocating for greater autonomy from British colonial rule.The history and process is very similar to the National Day of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as well as the National Day of Saint Lucia. So in 1958 Grenada joined the West Indies Federation. This was a group of British Caribbean colonies seeking closer political and economic ties. However, the federation was short-lived and dissolved in 1962.
Then in the early 1970s Grenada’s political landscape began to shift towards independence. This was running at the same time and pace as Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent. In any event the New Jewel Movement (NJM) which was a leftist political party. They gained popularity and also started calling for full independence from Britain. The countries first Prime Minister who was Maurice Bishop was from this political party. They came to power after victory in the 1979 elections.
Firstly on the 7th February 1974 Grenada officially became an independent nation. This was within the British Commonwealth. The country’s flag, which features six stars representing Grenada and its six parishes, was also adopted on that day. You can also see the National Day in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Public Holidays in Grenada
There are several public holidays in Grenada, including:
- New Year’s Day – January 1st
- Independence Day – February 7th
- Good Friday – varies
- Easter Monday – varies
- Labour Day – May 1st
- Whit Monday – varies
- Corpus Christi – varies
- Emancipation Day – August 1st
- Thanksgiving Day – October 25th
- Christmas Day – December 25th
- Boxing Day – December 26th
It is important to note that some holidays have dates that vary each year.
