Holidays

Holidays in Martinique

Martinique, which belongs to the Lesser Antilles and was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1502, owes its popularity with holidaymakers to its tropical beaches and hospitable population. The island is actually part of France, but has retained its very own character. On one of the numerous holidays, the tourist succeeds best to get to know the unspoiled Martinique.

Overview

New Year’s Day – January 1

Carnival – Flexible

Kariffritag – Flexible

Abolition of Slavery – May 22

National Day of the Storming of the Bastille – July 14

Schoelcher Day – July 21

Marian Assumption Day – August 15

All Saints Day – November 1

World War 1 Memorial Day – November 11

Christmas – December 25

Worth knowing about selected holidays

Carnival

As in many places in the Caribbean, Carnival is the absolute highlight of the festive season in Martinique. Imaginative and colorful costumes determine the parades. Not only the weather, but also the music is hot. The dances of the carnivalists are in no way inferior to those of Rio. King Varval is the main character of the carnival in Martinique. For four days, his subjects must entertain their majesty to the best of their ability through dance and music, which succeeds splendidly year after year.

Abolition of Slavery

This day marks an important milestone in Martinique’s history. In 1783, there were still 60,000 slaves on the island. It would take until May 22, 1848, for slavery to be finally abolished.

Schoelch Day

The man who was instrumental in the abolition of slavery was French politician Victor Schoelcher, born in 1804. He vehemently opposed slavery in the colonies. As a member of the French National Assembly for Martinique, Schoelcher ensured that the “décret d'abolition de l'esclavage du 27 avril 1848” was passed. Enacted on May 22, 1848, it banned slavery in all the colonies and in France. To this day, the population thanks Schoelcher for his efforts with his own day of honor.

Christmas

Christmas in the Caribbean is very different from the Christmas traditions we know. There is sun and sand instead of cold and snow, the classic Christmas carols are replaced by Caribbean rhythms. Holidaymakers can expect another special feature: Instead of wine with the festive meal, you can feast on rum-based cocktails. A culinary speciality in Martinique is the pig, which is slaughtered at Christmas and then served as “Ragout de Cochon” or as “Boudin”.