‘Bermuda Day’ To Be Expanded To Weekend
The Bermuda Day cultural festivities will be expanded so “that they take place on Friday May 25th, Saturday May 26th and Sunday May 27th,” Acting Minister of Social Development and Sports Lovitta Foggo said today, adding that they hope to create “an entire Bermuda Day Weekend experience.”
Speaking at a press conference, Minister Foggo said, “Today, as the Acting Minister of Social Development and Sports, with responsibility for Cultural Affairs, I am very pleased and excited to speak about the upcoming Bermuda Day 2018.
“I am pleased because this year, for the first time, Bermuda Day will be celebrated on the last Friday in May, i.e. May 25th 2018.
“Let me repeat – Bermuda Day 2018 will be celebrated on Friday May 25th 2018. I also want to take this opportunity to remind the public that next year, 2019, the last Friday in May will fall on Friday, May 31st 2019. Make sure you mark your calendar for that date.
“Why am I excited? I am excited because also for the first time, we will expand Bermuda Day cultural festivities so that they take place on Friday May 25th, Saturday May 26th and Sunday May 27th.
The 9-minute live video replay is below:
“What we hope to create is an entire Bermuda Day Weekend experience that all residents of Bermuda, both Bermudians and non-Bermudians, as well as our visitors, can participate in and enjoy.
“Bermuda has so much to celebrate as a country and as a people, from sporting heroes to cultural icons, from enviable climate to picturesque beaches and landscape, and we are arguably the friendliest people on earth.
“Of course, we have much, much more, and in years to come we intend to celebrate all the various aspects of Bermudian culture and heritage. In 2018, we will begin to ‘rebrand’ Bermuda Day, to make it bigger and better, and to showcase new events and festivities that will engage the entire community throughout the Bermuda Day Weekend. We envisage a cultural festival that makes residents proud to call Bermuda home, and makes visitors happy they chose our Island to visit.
“Yes, this is a teaser….and you will have to wait until the next press conference to see exactly what we have in mind….
“In the meantime, let’s talk about Bermuda Day itself, Friday May 25th 2018. It may still be a couple of months away…but I can already see the floats making their way up Cedar Avenue…I can already feel the beat of the Gombey drums…I can already taste the delicious food – crafted with family recipes passed down through the generations. Bermuda Day is truly my favorite time of the year.
“Bermuda day is a chance to celebrate our unique culture; to remind ourselves of what the Bermudian spirit is all about. The public will know that Bermuda Day takes place during May – Heritage Month.
“This year the theme for Heritage Month is “What We Share”.
“The theme embraces the notion that what we share is far more important than what divides us. On a 21 square mile island, we are united in family bonds that extend from St. George’s to Sandys and friendships which span generations.
“We are famed for our hospitality; our community spirit following a hurricane; and our generosity as a people. We share codfish and potatoes on Sundays, red bean soup, jerk chicken, and mac and cheese at any given family get-together – a diaspora of tastes that has less to do with what you’re eating and more to do with the company in which you share it. This identity and these experiences are what we share.
“Last year, we saw an increase in the number of Bermuda Day participants and floats. And this year we are encouraging all sectors of our community to participate in one way or another – be a part of what we hope will be a renaissance in Bermuda Day festivities.
“We know that constructing a very large float can be challenging.…so we encourage people thinking about getting involved to enter smaller things – bikes, box carts, even twizzys! And if you don’t want to decorate anything, just enter a walking group – outfit your staff or club participants in t-shirts with a banner, walk and wave!
“Over the last few years, the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs has successfully introduced new participant categories in order to widen community involvement:
- Natural Heritage Floats [traditional Bermuda Day floats with natural materials]
- Upcycled Floats [using recycled materials or used items destined for trash]
- Art Floats [using art, sculpture, or other modes of creative expression]
- Music Truck Entry
- Walking Group Entry
“Bermuda Day Parade Application Forms are due in-full by Friday, April 20th 2018.
“This year we will be moving the dignitary viewing stand back to Leopard’s Club, a historic venue for Bermuda. The Leopard’s Club had its roots in a very different Bermuda – a segregated Bermuda. And therefore I find it poignant that it now play a prominent role in celebrating the diversity of our culture and also what we share as a people.
“I am especially encouraging the business community to support the Bermuda Day festivities, whether by participating themselves or by sponsoring a local group – a sports team, school or non-profit organization. In the coming weeks I will reach out to various sectors of our community to invite them to consider re-engaging with Bermuda Day, or to participate for the first time if they haven’t done so before.
“My wish is for this to be the most dynamic and exciting Bermuda Day parade yet – celebrating the whole community. Since it’s a long weekend, we hope people will come out and support the participants. Lots of other exciting things are being planned for the long weekend – and we’ll let you know about those soon!
“For more information on the history of Heritage Month and Bermuda Day, go to the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs website at communityandculture.bm.”
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“Of course, we have much, much more, and in years to come we intend….
IF you are still the Government!
No mention of the marathon derby? When is that?
The marathon is not part of the parade or the Bermuda Day celebrations. That’s run by a separate race committee unconnected to Govt.
Well done. Great news
when the going gets tough, lets throw a party!
so much to do and so little actually getting done.
PLP – party loving people…..
Few things I can count on these days…Bernews trolls are #1! Ha!ha!!ha!!! A sad bunch are you haters!
Truth hurts huh?
Welcome Change – another thing you can count on. Bermuda tanked if we carry on as we are.
Hating got nothing to do with it. Reality does however.
Gotta perpetuate them and us at every opportunity.
Huh? That’s the opposite of what the Ms. Foggo expressed.
So does this mean that somewhere down the road we can expect the Friday and the Monday off as there will be activities Friday – Saturday and Sunday. I thought the whole reason for moving this to Friday is because people bi^@!ed and moaned about have to go to work the next day if the holiday fell in the middle of the week.
Help me to understand this please.
Bread and circuses come to mind.
Double S. You hit the bullseye on that one…I read between the lines.
So now everyone will need Monday off to recover from 3 day party…isn’t that why we moved it to Friday so no one would be too tired for work…lol
Bigger is not necessarily better???? What about keeping it Bermudian?
Queen’s birthday holiday has already been hijacked to make it ‘a better experience for everyone’ and yet we can’t even nominate a hero every year.
Bermuda Day is always going to be May 24th, the first day Bermudians put their toe in the water and whether you can hear the Gombey drum or taste the delicious food Ms Foggo, you are never going to change that.
WHY!
Because they CAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
many people are so blind. any one can see that the holiday was moved to made it more marketable to visitors at the same level as cup match.
Bermuda Day is a holiday with Bermuda in its name it should be calibrated properly. This will allow for the Gov to build more patriotism and pride stemming form them being about to do more with the holiday now that it will be over the week end. plus add in that it will now be easier for visitors and students that come for the race to take a nice weekend vacation fly in and enjoy themselves.
Riddle me this… Wasn’t the whole reason behind moving to Thursday that people were not showing up for work/school on the Friday? So now the same thing will be happening on the Monday?
Ridiculous at best.
Sooooo does that mean Saturday is a holiday too?!
May 24th! It’s culture, heritage month, it’s the day Bermudians go for a swim just to Bragg. Then wait till mid June to enjoy.
I see no good reason to make it a holiday weekend! Get up! And go to work Bermuda
Well done to Minister Weeks. His proposal was put through 3 unsuccessful times with the oba.
Now the P.L.P. are at the helm….it is NOW a reality.
Well done, Minister Weeks!!
Lazy bleddy bermudians.
fake news
Will you lot stop wasting time on stupid stuff like this. Expand the economy. Create some jobs.
By the way, while we’re spending money that you’re borrowing, how about turning those frikkin lights off at Grand Atlantic.
Stop wasting money.
Bunch of clowns they are!
Each school should be made to enter the float competition. It will continue our tradition and ensure the parade is full of floats. What is happening on the Saturday and Sunday which is unique to Bermuda? This will be interesting.
Cant wait for a change in Govt so Bermuda day can be moved back to May 24th , when it should be.
I appreciate that Bermudians will enjoy 4 days of partying but not sure tourists will enjoy it! If nothing is open for shopping etc,. it could become a problem particularly if tourists can’t get close to the parade because Bermudians are hogging the sidewalk. This sounds more like a circus rather than a holiday.
what you fail to realize is that one of the biggest tourists attractions are the locals. tourists want to hang out in a natural local vibe. if the Bermudians enjoy themselves the tourists will enjoy themselves.
but it all boils down to how the gov structures the events.
with the holiday moved to the week end there is more to work with.
Well done PLP for this clever way of building out more tourism product.
“it could become a problem particularly if tourists can’t get close to the parade because Bermudians are hogging the sidewalk.”
If the tourists don’t like it, they can just leave.