Public holidays in the Falkland Islands
Public holidays in the Falkland Islands are determined by the Executive Council of the Falkland Islands. There are currently nine annual public holidays in force in the Falklands, with several other observances throughout the year.[1] When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the holiday is carried over to the following Monday.[2]
Public holidays
[edit]| Date | Holiday | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | |
| variable | Good Friday | |
| 14 June | Liberation Day | The anniversary of the liberation of the Falkland Islanders from Argentine military occupation at the end of the Falklands War in 1982. |
| First Monday in October | Peat Cutting Day | Public holiday since 2002. |
| 14 November | King's Birthday | Observed on the day of King Charles III's birth rather than his official birthday. The holiday was previously held on 21 April during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.[3] |
| 8 December | Battle Day | The anniversary of the Battle of the Falkland Islands in 1914. |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | |
| 26 December | Boxing Day | |
| 27 December | Christmas Holiday | Additional public holiday after Christmas Day and Boxing Day. |
Other observances
[edit]| Date | Holiday | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 January[4] | Margaret Thatcher Day | The anniversary of the day British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited the Falklands in 1983. Not a public holiday. |
| 14 August | Falklands Day | The anniversary of the first sighting of the Falkland Islands by John Davis in 1592. Ceased be to a public holiday in 2002 when the Executive Council moved the holiday to provide for the re-introduction of Peat Cutting Monday. |
| 30 December | Government Holiday | Not public holidays, but days on which all Government Departments (other than those providing essential services) are closed. Should these days fall on the weekend, they are moved to the previous Friday/Thursday. |
| 31 December |
One-off public holidays
[edit]A one-off public holiday was declared for 19 September 2022, the day of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Holidays and observances in Falkland Islands in 2021". www.timeanddate.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Falkland Islands Public Holidays 2020 - 2023" (PDF). fig.gov.fk. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Falklands appoints 14 November as a Public Holiday, to celebrate birthday of King Charles III". MercoPress. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ^ "Falkland Islands day of mourning for Baroness Thatcher". BBC News. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
Margaret Thatcher Day is celebrated every 10 January on the islands
- ^ "Falklands Public Holiday and national two minute's silence for Queen Elizabeth II". MercoPress. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.