When is National Heroes Day?
National Heroes Day is a public holiday in Bermuda observed each year on the third Monday in June.
The day recognises and honours those people that have made significant positive contributions to Bermudian society and have been officially designated as National Heroes in Bermuda.
History of National Heroes Day
This holiday began in 2008 when it replaced Queen Elizabeth's Official Birthday. That might seem a bit unfair to the Queen, but since the United Kingdom doesn't celebrate her birthday with a holiday, we can hardly blame Bermuda.
National Heroes Day is intended to honour local heroes and heroines, pioneering men and women who were committed to selfless acts of public service and whose lives were spent devoted to improving the circumstances of the people of Bermuda.
The National Hero designation is a lifetime honour that is bestowed, and once a person is named as a National Hero he or she will be a National Hero forever.
Bermuda’s inaugural National Hero was Dame Louis Browne-Evans; the first black female MP and the island’s first female Attorney General.
Others who have been subsequently honoured are:
- Gladys Carlyon de Courcy Morrell,
- Sir Edward Trenton Richards,
- Dr Edgar Fitzgerald Gordon,
- Dr Pauulu Kamarakafego,
- Sir Henry James Tucker,
- Mary Prince, and
- Sir John Swan.
Factsheet on all the National Heroes (pdf) Bermuda Government
National Heroes Day marks the culmination of the Bermuda Heroes' Weekend, which begins on the Friday before.
