I have to admit that I am learning about Haiti right along with the rest of you. Yesterday, as I was celebrating New Years day with my family, a good friend emailed me and let me know that in Haiti, January 1st is Independence Day. She forwarded on several newspaper articles sharing about Haitian Independence and traditions for January 1st. I was taken back a bit, since I was unaware of this important day. I did some of my own research and learned more about Independence Day. I learned that January 2nd is also an important holiday in Haiti. In fact, Ancestors' Day, is when Independence Day is officially recognized and the celebrating takes place. Let me share a little bit about these two holidays, as well as a few links for further information.

On August 22, 1791, the Haitian war of independence began in flames under the leadership of a religious leader named Boukman; over one hundred thousand slaves rose up against the vastly outnumbered and infinitely hated French. Unlike the French Revolution and the American Revolution, the Haitian revolution was entirely driven by the passions of men and women who had been enslaved most if not all of their lives. They didn't simply desire liberty, they wanted vengeance. Over the next three weeks, the Haitian slaves burned every plantation throughout the fertile regions of Haiti and executed all Frenchmen they could find. The French fled to the seacoast towns and pleaded with France to help them out while the island burned.

You can learn more about the Haitian revolution here:

The Haitian Revolution

On November 18, 1803, the Haitian people, under the command of Jean Jacques Dessalines, declared their freedom. Two months later, on January 1st, 1804 Dessalines made the official declaration of independence, and gave Haiti back its original name. The name Haiti is Arawak for "Land of the Mountains".

You can learn more about Dessalines rule over Haiti here:

The History of Haiti

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