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]
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. |
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 |
A one-off public holiday was declared for 19 September 2022, the day of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. [5]
The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory and, as such, rely on the United Kingdom for the guarantee of their security. The other UK territories in the South Atlantic, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, fall under the protection of British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI), formerly known as British Forces Falkland Islands (BFFI), which includes commitments from the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. They are headed by the Commander, British Forces South Atlantic Islands (CBFSAI), a brigadier-equivalent appointment that rotates among all three services.
The Falklands War was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependency, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The conflict began on 2 April 1982, when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands, followed by the invasion of South Georgia the next day. On 5 April, the British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the islands. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender on 14 June, returning the islands to British control. In total, 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders were killed during the hostilities.
The flag of Montserrat consists of a Blue Ensign with the British overseas territory's coat of arms. Adopted in 1960 to supplement the Union Jack after the dissolution of the British Leeward Islands the year before, it has been the flag of Montserrat since the territory was granted self-government that year. The design of the present flag entailed enlarging the coat of arms and outlining it with a white trim. Montserrat's flag is similar to the flags of eight other British Overseas Territories, which are also Blue Ensigns with their respective coats of arms.
Public holidays in New Zealand consist of a variety of cultural, national, and religious holidays that are legislated in New Zealand. Workers can get a maximum of 12 public holidays and a minimum of 20 annual leave days a year.
The King's Official Birthday is the selected day in most Commonwealth realms on which the birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those countries. It does not necessarily correspond to the date of the monarch's actual birth.
Public holidays in Canada, known as statutory holidays, stat holidays, or simply stats, consist of a variety of cultural, nationalistic, and religious holidays that are legislated in Canada at the federal or provincial and territorial levels. While many of these holidays are honoured and acknowledged nationwide, provincial and territorial legislation varies in regard to which are officially recognized.
In the United Kingdom, public holidays are days on which most businesses and non-essential services are closed. Many retail businesses do open on some of the public holidays. There are restrictions on trading on Sundays, Easter and Christmas Day in England and Wales and on New Year's Day and Christmas Day in Scotland. Public holidays defined by statute are called "bank holidays", but this term can also be used to include common law holidays, which are held by convention. The term "public holidays" can refer exclusively to common law holidays.
The Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF) is the locally maintained volunteer defence unit in the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory. The FIDF works alongside the military units supplied by the United Kingdom to ensure the security of the islands.
Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She had been queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and was the monarch of 15 realms at her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest of any sovereign state.
Nigel Robert Haywood is a British diplomat, who served as British ambassador to Estonia from 2003 until 2008 and Governor of the Falkland Islands from 2010 until 2014.
Sharon Halford is a Falkland Islands politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Camp constituency from 2009 until 2013. Halford was also a Member of the Legislative Council from 1993–2001 for Stanley.
Keith Padgett is an English politician who served as Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands from 2012 to 2016. Before his appointed as Chief Executive, Padgett served as the islands' Financial Secretary from 2008, which was renamed Director of Finance with the implementation of the 2009 Constitution. He also acts as Director of Corporate Resources.
The 1982 Liberation Memorial is a war memorial in Stanley, Falkland Islands. It commemorates all British Forces and supporting units that served in the Falklands War and helped liberate the Falkland Islanders from Argentine military occupation in 1982. The Memorial is situated in front of the Secretariat Building, overlooking Stanley Harbour. The funds for the Memorial were raised entirely by Falkland Islanders and it was unveiled by the Governor of the Falkland Islands, Sir Rex Hunt, on Liberation Day 1984, the second anniversary of the end of the war.
Liberation Day is the National Day of the Falkland Islands and commemorates the liberation of the Falkland Islanders from Argentine military occupation at the end of the Falklands War on 14 June 1982.
The COVID-19 pandemic in the Falkland Islands is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to be in the islands on 3 April 2020. During the first wave, the number of cases peaked at 13, with all being from the military base at Mount Pleasant leaving none from the general population. All 13 patients recovered. On 10 November, a new case was discovered. As of 4 May 2022 a total of 195 people were confirmed to have been infected.
The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration in 2022 marking the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was the first time that any monarch in British history celebrated a platinum jubilee, as is the case in the histories of the other Commonwealth realms.
At 10:15 pm (BST) on the night of 14 June 1982, British prime minister Margaret Thatcher announced to the House of Commons that negotiations had begun for the surrender of the Argentine invasion force in the Falkland Islands, ending the Falklands War. Her statement noted that "they are reported to be flying white flags over Port Stanley", the capital of the Falklands. This was based on an erroneous report from a front-line unit; in fact, no white flags are known to have been flown, though Argentine resistance ended, and a ceasefire was in place. The surrender was finalised by 1:30 am BST on 15 June. Thatcher's statement was welcomed from all sides in the House, and she left to join celebrating crowds in Downing Street. She later described the statement as "perhaps the proudest moment of my life".
Toothfish Day is a public holiday celebrated in the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It is annually on 4 September, but if that falls on a weekend it may be observed on a weekday. It is one of eleven public holidays in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, appointed by the Governor in Council.
Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. Elizabeth's reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.
The following lists events that happened during 2022 in South America.
Margaret Thatcher Day is celebrated every 10 January on the islands