National Heroes Day in Saint Kitts and Nevis

First observed in 1998, National Heroes Day is an island-wide public holiday. It’s celebrated on September 16 — three days before St. Kitts and Nevis Independence Day — and, depending on what weekday it lands, may be extended to accommodate a joint celebration.

The holiday is a byproduct of the National Honours Act, a piece of legislation that established a trio of merit-based awards: the Medal of Honour, the Star of Merit, and the Order of the National Hero. Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw was posthumously made the first member of the newly-created order, and an annual day of remembrance — National Heroes Day — was earmarked for his birthday.