Juneteenth 2025: Date, holiday status, history, meaning, and why it’s celebrated

In the United States, one of the longest-running celebrations among African Americans, Juneteenth marks the abolition of slavery.

When is Juneteenth?

It will be Juneteenth on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

Juneteenth evolved into a festival of accomplishment, freedom, and bringing families and communities together through food and entertainment, religious and spiritual rituals, cultural storytelling, and pilgrimages to Galveston, Texas. These days, Juneteenth becomes a celebration of African American heritage and experiences.

What’s the history behind Juneteenth?

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, during the American Civil War, declaring that over three million slaves in the Confederate states were now free. However, it would take more than two years for African Americans in Texas to learn of the news. Federal forces liberated all slaves and took control of Texas in 1865 when they arrived in Galveston.

Slavery in Texas had largely been unaffected by the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House in Virginia two months prior, until U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas territory and read General Order No. 3: "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free."

Slavery had persisted in Texas because there had been neither widespread combat nor a sizable presence of Union forces there. Since they saw it as a safe haven for slavery, many enslavers from outside the Lone Star State had relocated there.

Southern states began to secede from the Union (or the United States of America) shortly after Abraham Lincoln was elected president.

In defiance of Lincoln's strategy to limit slavery and states' rights, the Confederate States established the Confederate Army. Following the Confederate Army's assault on Fort Sumter, the Union organized an army of soldiers from twenty states. Beginning in 1861, the American Civil War lasted until 1865, when the Union Army emerged victorious.

The rights of African Americans who were enslaved in the Confederate States were federally recognized when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Slave owners were not compensated for their lost property, slavery was not prohibited, and former slaves were not given citizenship. Both the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War sought to end slavery and preserve the Union.

The Emancipation Proclamation, which President Abraham Lincoln signed during the Civil War, would officially legalize the rights of African Americans who were slaves in the Confederate those only; those that were not in war with the Union were not included.

What’s the holiday status of Juneteenth?

Juneteenth has been a federal holiday since 2021. It will be celebrated on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

After Texas declared Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980, several other states did the same. Because of activist Opal Lee's efforts to increase awareness, Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in 2021.

How is Juneteenth celebrated?

Every year on June 19, Juneteenth is a celebration honoring the abolition of slavery in the United States.

Residents of Galveston, Texas, did not hear that slavery had been outlawed until Union troops landed there on June 19, 1865. Right away, the former slaves started to rejoice with music, dance, feasting, and prayer. The first official Juneteenth festivities were held in Texas on June 19 of the following year.

In order to symbolize their newfound independence, celebrants wore new clothing during the initial observances, which also included prayer meetings and spiritual singing. Within a few years, the day became an annual event as African Americans in other states began to celebrate it as well.

Prayer and religious services, speeches, educational activities, family get-togethers and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dance are all common components of celebrations that have persisted throughout the United States into the twenty-first century.

Organizations in several nations use the day to commemorate the abolition of slavery and to appreciate the accomplishments and culture of African Americans. It is also observed outside of the United States.

FAQs

What is Juneteenth and why do we celebrate it?
It commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States, specifically June 19, 1865, when enslaved Texans were finally freed.

Is Juneteenth a national holiday in 2025?
Yes. Since 2021, Juneteenth has been a federal holiday. In 2025, it will be observed on Thursday, June 19.