What is the name of Haiti’s national celebration on 1 January, marking independence in 1804?

Haiti’s national celebration on 1 January, marking independence in 1804, is called Independence Day.

Haiti declared independence from France on 1 January 1804. The declaration followed the Haitian Revolution, a successful uprising by enslaved people and their allies in the French colony of Saint-Domingue. Haiti became the first independent state in Latin America and the Caribbean founded by formerly enslaved people.

The declaration was issued at Gonaïves by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who became the first ruler of independent Haiti. The date also deliberately rejected the colonial name Saint-Domingue and restored the Indigenous Taíno-derived name Haiti.

The holiday is also associated with soup joumou, a pumpkin soup historically restricted under colonial rule. Haiti’s Flag Day is a different national observance, held on 18 May, so the two celebrations should not be confused.