Emancipation Day is celebrated on August 1st in Jamaica.

The day is often celebrated by re-enacting the reading of the Emancipation Declaration throughout the various town squares. Of particular note, too, is the celebration that takes place in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, which is where the initial Emancipation Declaration was read at midnight on July 31, 1838.

As the government of Jamaica reports, the celebration was first commemorated when the Jamaican slaves traveled to the mountaintops to watch the sunrise, as a symbolic gesture for the new beginnings in their lives. As dawn broke, their thanksgiving rituals extended to the churches throughout the land.

For many Jamaicans, freedom — which had long been fought for — was finally achieved. But for many more, the struggles had just begun.

Today, Jamaicans take the celebrations a step further by closing all government buildings and schools to stand in solidarity with their ancestors. And it’s not just celebrated on the island nation, either. Throughout the diaspora, Jamaicans celebrate their independence day, which — it should be noted — came just about 30 years before slaves in the United States were finally freed.

As you can imagine, there’s more to Emancipation Day than meets the eye. Here are five things you may not have known about this important holiday.

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