Remembrance Day in Marshall Islands
Remembrance Day is observed annually on March 1st and is celebrated as a national holiday in the Marshall Islands. It honors the survivors and victims of the nuclear testing conducted during the 1950s by the United States government.
Marshall Islands (Public holiday)Previously known as Nuclear Victims’ Day or Nuclear Survivors’ Day, this day is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed. Even today, people affected by the detonation of the United States’ most powerful hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll have to deal with food and home security, as well as generational health disparities.
The History of Remembrance Day in the Marshall Islands
On March 1, 1954, the U.S. government detonated Castle Bravo over Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. This was the largest nuclear device ever detonated by the U.S. government and the first in a series of nuclear tests conducted under Operation Castle. Before nuclear testing began, over 160 Marshallese were relocated from Bikini Atoll to other islands.
Between 1946 and 1958, the United States military tested 67 atomic weapons not only on Bikini Atoll but also over Enewetak Atoll. These tests displaced entire communities and caused long-term health effects for the residents of the islands.
Important Facts About the Marshall Islands
Let’s go over some facts we’ve learned about the Marshall Islands and would like to share with everyone reading today. We thought the following facts were entertaining, so we decided to share them with everyone reading about Remembrance Day.
- The official name is the Republic of the Marshall Islands (R.M.I).
- The capital city is Majuro.
- The Marshall Islands has a population of over 77,000 people and covers an area of 181 square kilometers.
- The major languages in the R.M.I include Marshallese and English.
- The Marshall Islands comprise over 1,225 islands and islets.
- The islands also have 870 reef systems.
- The first Europeans to visit the islands were Spaniard Miguel de Saavedra and Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan.
Observing Remembrance Day in the Marshall Islands
This is a day off for the general population, and government agencies, as well as schools, are closed. It is also a day when many businesses are closed. This allows people to attend memorial services and other events that commemorate the victims of the Bikini Atoll nuclear testing. People can use the hashtag #RemembranceDay on social media.
Marshall Islands (Public holiday)
