Bahamas: Holidays

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Holidays

The grandest holiday of all is Junkanoo, a carnival that embraces the Christmas season. Don't expect to conduct any business during the week of festivities. During other legal holidays, most offices close, and some may extend the holiday by keeping earlier (or no) hours the day before or after. In the Bahamas, official holidays include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter, Whit Monday (last Mon. in May), Labour Day (1st Mon. in June), Independence Day (July 10), Emancipation Day (1st Mon. in Aug.), Discovery Day (Oct. 12), Christmas Day, and Boxing Day (Dec. 26). In Turks and Caicos, islanders also celebrate Commonwealth Day (Mar.), Easter Monday, National Heroes Day (May), the Queen's Birthday (June), National Youth Day (Sept.), and International Human Rights Day (Oct.) They celebrate Emancipation Day (Aug. 1) but do not celebrate Whit Monday, Labour Day, or Independence Day.