November 1: Antigua and Barbuda's National Day

Posted on November 1, 2014

Yes, it's another Caribbean island.

Yes, it's another country that became independent of the United Kingdom (in 1981). (Man, the Brits colonized EVERYWHERE!!!)

Wow, what a view these people have!
This is a peninsula, or a finger of land
that sticks out into the sea.

The name of the country is pretty straightforward, since the two main islands that make up the nation are (you guessed it) Antigua and Barbuda. There are about 35 other islands, some with cool names:

Kid Island and Nanny Island

Crump Island and Sandy Island

Bird Island, Pelican Island, and Great Bird Island

Rat Island, Lobster Island, and Rabbit Island

The Sisters Islands and Wicked Will Island

A nickname for the country is “Land of 365 Beaches.” I guess you could go to a different beach every day of the year?

Here are some cool things about Antigua and Barbuda:

• The nation has a National Weed! And it's called Widdy Widdy (which is such a great name!). Way back in the 1950s, when sugar workers went on strike for better wages and conditions, they cooked and ate this good-tasting, nutritious, but sticky food.

• One of the nation's most popular sports is cricket, and some world-class cricketers came from here (even though the country is so small). One of the nation's laziest sports is crab-racing – a sport that is held once a week.

• 

  National dress designed by
  native Antiguan Heather Doram

  Today, in celebration of National Day, many Antiguans wear their national clothing (which was once warn by market vendors and cake makers!).

They also eat special foods, and attend national prayer services.

• Antigua's “Black Pineapple” is considered the sweetest pineapple in the world. When Arawakan-speaking people first introduced this fruit, every bit of it was used—to make twine, to make cloth, to make medicines, and so forth.

• 
  The highest point on Antigua was known as Boggy Peak. (Another great name!) But in 2009, Boggy Peak was named Mount Obama, after U.S. President Barack Obama.

Also on this date:

Give Up Your Shoulds Day

Prime Meridian Day

Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)

Continental-drift guy / geophysicist Alfred Wegener's birthday

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

• November holidays
• November birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in November
  

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• December holidays 
• December birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in December