Grand Bahama Island

The second Monday in October, formerly known as "Discovery Day" or "Columbus Day," has now been dedicated to honoring Bahamian national heroes since 2013. An official National Heroes Day ceremony is held with a keynote speech by the Prime Minister, and heroes from a cross-section of civil society are celebrated with a week of activities.

Many people enjoy the day with family gatherings and beach picnics.

This holiday, on the first Monday in August, celebrates the emancipation of slaves in the British colonies in 1834. It is celebrated with a Junkanoo Rush-out, a day of beaching, sailing, and regattas in most islands.

On New Providence, old slave villages such as Gambier in the west and Fox Hill in the east have their own special celebrations.

This holiday was granted to slaves the day after Christmas, when they were given the boxes left over from their master’s gifts. These boxes usually were sent from England and were well-crafted from fine wood. Hence the holiday is known as Boxing Day.

Junkanoo parades take place on some islands to commemorate the day.

This holiday commemorates the day when The Bahamas became a fully independent nation on July 10, 1973, separating from the United Kingdom. However, we remain a member of The Commonwealth of Nations.

The Christmas holiday is celebrated in The Bahamas with many carnivals and festivals. We also have adopted many of the same traditions and customs of other countries. These include gift-giving, feasting and sending Christmas cards.

This holiday marks the end of the Easter cycle and the beginning of public witness of the Christian church. It is the Monday after Whit Sunday, The Feast of Pentecost, which comes 50 days after Easter.

This weekly event takes place in the quaint settlement of Smith's Point every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. You can experience Bahamian food, drinks and culture.

This is the Rand Nature Centre's signature holiday festival, offering an evening of wine and arts, featuring local artists of various mediums, and a varied selection of locally available wines. All funds raised go to the Bahamas National Trust for further development of national parks in The Bahamas.

This annual invitational basketball tournament features local and international teams in friendly competition. High school teams from throughout the United States and The Bahamas will participate.

This event brings together Grand Bahama Island's food and beverage industry, offering an opportunity for businesses to network with their peers, industry buyers and suppliers. Also, culinary artists will showcase their services and products with live cooking/mixology demonstrations and sampling of food, beer, and wine. Venue is the Canal House at Pelican Bay Hotel in Lucaya.