Maroons Day

Maroons Day is celebrated on October 10th as a public holiday in Suriname. The holiday honors the Maroon people’s heritage and contributions to the country. Maroons are descendants of Africans in the Americas and Islands of the Indian Ocean who escaped from slavery and formed their own settlements. They often mixed with indigenous peoples, eventually evolving into separate creole cultures such as the Garifuna and the Mascogos. The Maroons’ culture is unique and showcases their heritage, which includes their history, geography, African nationality, and the culture of indigenous people throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Leeward Maroons in Jamaica still possess a vibrant community of about 600 in their largest town, Accompong, and they offer tours of the village to foreigners. Maroons Day celebrates the Maroons, who fled African slavery and settled with the Americas’ indigenous communities.