Juneteenth, observed on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It marks the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned of their freedom — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and announced that the Civil War was over and all enslaved people were free. Annual celebrations began in Texas the following year. President Joe Biden signed Juneteenth into federal holiday status on June 17, 2021 — making it the first new US federal holiday since MLK Day in 1983.
Picnics, family gatherings, parades, rodeos in Texas. Educational events about African American history. Red foods (red beans and rice, red velvet cake, watermelon, hibiscus tea) are traditional, symbolizing the resilience of enslaved people.
Red velvet cake, watermelon, red soda water (or Big Red), strawberry pie, BBQ ribs, fried chicken, sweet potato pie.
Federal holiday since 2021 — federal employees off. State observance varies. Major celebrations in Galveston, Houston, Atlanta, Washington DC.