Juneteenth – June 19 – celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. People come together on that day to mark the purely unofficial holiday with colorful events and parades.
It’s unofficial because the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, ended slavery wherever and whenever such an executive order could. Then the 13th Amendment, passed by Congress by the necessary two-thirds vote on Jan. 31, 1865, and ratified by the states on Dec. 6 of that same year, officially ended legal slavery.
So, what is Juneteenth then?
The day marks when in 1865 that Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued an order declaring to the people of Texas that all slaves were officially free, according to historian Henry Louis Gates, PBS.org reported.
There was a two-year gap between when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and when the news reached Texas, reportedly, but some have speculated the lag was because the ongoing Civil War prevented the freeing of slaves, according to Fast Company.
Where did the name Juneteenth come from?
Also known as Freedom Day, or Emancipation Day, the name Juneteenth is a word combination of "June" and "nineteenth," USA Today reported.
How is Juneteenth celebrated?
When the holiday was first celebrated, the focus was predominantly on education and self-improvement, and activities were often held around the presence of guest speakers, according to Juneteenth.com.
A wide array of activities were provided to the public and many of these have become a firmly embedded tradition today, including rodeo, fishing, barbeques and baseball.
Certain foods have also become synonymous with the holiday, such as strawberry soda-pop, as well as more traditional dishes thrown on the barbeque.
Nowadays, many celebrate the holiday with parades and festivals.