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Juneteenth recognizes one of the most important moments in United States history.

Also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day and Black Independence Day, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.

Although Juneteenth has been unofficially celebrated for more than 150 years, the U.S. now commemorates the day as an official holiday.

Here’s how the holiday started and why we celebrate each year:

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Juneteenth meaning

Declared by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 during the American Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves held in Confederate states.

However, it took the 13th Amendment for emancipation to become national policy. It was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, and by the House on Jan. 31, 1865, according to National Museum of African American & History of Culture.

But not all slaves were freed. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, when about 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to help free more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state through executive decree. This day came to be known as Juneteenth by the newly freed people in Texas as a symbolic date representing African American freedom, according to the Smithsonian.

“Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day. Although it has long celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans,” according to the NMAAHC.

When is Juneteenth?

The holiday is observed annually on June 19 to honor the slaves freed in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

Texans celebrated Juneteenth beginning in 1866 with parades, cookouts, prayer gatherings, historical and cultural readings and musical performances, according to Congress. As time passed, communities developed different traditions for the holiday. Juneteenth celebrations spread across the U.S. as families migrated from Texas.

In 1980, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth a state holiday.

Juneteenth 2025 events in Delaware

Juneteenth will soon be kicking off across Delaware. From parades and festivals to performances and historical tributes, communities throughout the First State are honoring the holiday with a full slate of events that reflect both celebration and remembrance.

Check out all the events here.

Is Juneteenth observed in Delaware?

Yes. Juneteenth is one of 13 legal holidays observed by the First State.

The legal holidays currently recognized by the State of Delaware are:

  • New Year’s Day  
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day  
  • Good Friday  
  • Memorial Day  
  • Juneteenth 
  • Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July  
  • Labor Day  
  • Election Day  
  • Return Day, observed after noon for state employees living and/or working in Sussex County 
  • Veterans Day  
  • Thanksgiving Day  
  • The day after Thanksgiving  
  • Christmas Day

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Is Juneteenth a federal holiday?

Yes. Juneteenth is observed as a federal holiday and is designated as a permanent holiday and commemorated annually by many states. In 2023, 28 states and Washington, D.C. recognized Juneteenth as an official public holiday, according to the Pew Research Center.

Florida, Oklahoma and Minnesota were the first states outside Texas to commemorate Juneteenth as a day of observance in the 1990s, according to the Pew Research Center.

This means federal workers get a paid day off and there’s no mail delivery, while most federal offices, banks and bond markets that trade in U.S. government debt are closed this day.

Other states may commemorate Juneteenth as a day of observance or in some other form.

When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?

President Joe Biden signed the bill on June 17, 2021, declaring Juneteenth the 11th U.S. federal holiday and the first to obtain legal observance as a federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was designated in 1983.