Two cities in the state of Iowa, USA, are gearing up to take part in this year’s Jamaica Day festivities on Friday, February 23, themed ‘Celebrating Jamaica: Authentic and Unique… A Fi Wi TREND A Dweet’.
Residents of Waterloo and Cedar Falls, alongside local officials, have come together to organize a series of activities to coincide with the island’s celebrations.
Marlon Williams, Chair of the Jamaica Day Planning Committee and Senior Education Officer at the Ministry of Education and Youth’s Core Curriculum Unit, highlighted the significance of these engagements. He noted that while Jamaicans in the diaspora have been observing Jamaica Day for years, this marks the first formal celebration by any city outside of the country.
The National Civic ceremony for Jamaica Day will take place at William Knibb High School in Trelawny, a featured local educational institution. The event will include displays, cultural performances, and the honoring of Olympian Usain Bolt as the Culture Icon for 2024.
In Cedar Falls and Waterloo, civic ceremonies will also be held, where proclamations will be read declaring the last Friday of February as Jamaica Day annually. Both cities will showcase various aspects of Jamaican culture throughout the day.
Williams encourages Jamaicans worldwide to participate in the celebrations by donning the national colors of Black, Green, and Gold, or traditional bandana attire.
What is Jamaica Day?
Jamaica Day is an annual celebration that pays tribute to the nation’s distinctive characteristics and its global contributions. Organized under the Culture in Education Program, this special day is overseen by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information.
The primary focus of the day is children, who dress in traditional bandanas and the nation’s colors to school. Other cultural events are also held across the island
Jamaica Day has been celebrated annually on the last Friday of February since 2011, as proclaimed by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, except under adverse circumstances.
