Juneteenth

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth meaning holds history in itself. Juneteenth is a combination of two words “June” and “Nineteen”. It is known as freedom day, Emancipation Day, and Jubilee day. A Juneteenth federal holiday is observed on 19th June every year in the United States. This movement of Juneteenth was originated in Galveston, Texas.

History of The Juneteenth:

The day is celebrated to commemorate the liberation of the people who had been enslaved in the U.S. On 22nd September 1862, Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation. After that on 1st January 1863, it was declared that all the enslaved people under the Confederate States of America should be released. The Juneteenth day is celebrated to recall the anniversary of the day June 19, 1865, when Union Army general Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom from slavery in Texas. After a series of Texas Supreme Court decisions from 1868 to 1874, it was legally announced to end the slavery system in Texas.

Celebrations of Juneteenth:

The day is celebrated across the United States with full spirit. Juneteenth is considered “America’s second Independence day”. It is usually celebrated on the third weekend of June. The celebration includes games and competitions like baseball, rodeos, and fishing. People arrange family dinners and gatherings with traditional African-American food. The traditional drink “Strawberry Soda” is included in all Juneteenth celebrations. The Streets are decorated with lights and flags and Juneteenth quotes. The street fairs are arranged with special themes to entertain people. People wear new clothes and arrange picnics, park parties, and family gatherings to celebrate Juneteenth. Miss Juneteenth contests and Blues festivals are also arranged on Juneteenth. Special lectures and presentations about African-American culture are prepared to present on Juneteenth. People wish each other happy Juneteenth day messages. Traditional songs and anthems are played to commemorate the day of 19th June.

Interesting Juneteenth Facts :

Juneteenth is an important day to celebrate in the United States. Some of its interesting facts are as follows

• Juneteenth is the oldest known holiday in the history of the United States that is celebrated to honor the day of the end of slavery from Texas.
• Ralph Ellison released his book with the title of Juneteenth.
• The Miss Juneteenth contest is specially named after this day.
• The traditional drink associated with this day is “Strawberry Soda”
• Specially made “Juneteenth Flag” is raised on this day in Galveston.

FAQs about Juneteenth:

A lot of questions come to mind while hearing about Juneteenth. Some of them are answered below:

1. Why is it called Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is a blend of an important date i.e. Nineteenth June, which commemorates the special event of End of Slavery from Texas.

2. How to celebrate Juneteenth? / How to acknowledge Juneteenth?

Juneteenth can be celebrated by arranging parties, dinner gatherings, outdoor picnics, and special plays regarding the importance of this day.

3. When did Juneteenth become a national holiday?

The Texas Legislature passed a bill in the 1970s to declare Juneteenth “a National holiday”.

4. Why do we celebrate Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is celebrated to commemorate the day of End of Slavery after the American Civil war.

5. Why is Juneteenth important?

Juneteenth has an important value in African-American culture because it was the only declaration that proclaimed the end of slavery in Texas.

Bottom line:

Juneteenth holds an important history behind its name. It came out to be an important day in the history of the United States. This day declared the End of slavery from Texas after the Civil war. After that, this day is celebrated as the day of freedom in the remembrance of all the slaves who were released due to this proclamation.