"" Writer's Wanderings: Two Celebrations Today!

Monday, July 04, 2016

Two Celebrations Today!

The first Monday of July which is Constitution Day in the Cayman Islands coincides with the Independence Day celebration of the USA. They take their holidays seriously here in the islands and many places will close early or be closed all day as they celebrate. Unlike the US, the Cayman Islands are still a territory of Great Britain.

In 1670 the British took over control of the Cayman Islands which were largely uninhabited until the 1730s. In 1863 the islands became a part of Jamaica and began to be settled. Jamaica gained independence from Britain in 1952 but the Cayman Islands elected to a protectorate of the British crown. The islands officially gained status as a British overseas territory and in 1959 a constitution was adopted that gave women suffrage and defined the boundaries of self-administration of the territory.

So this year we will celebrate our country's independence and celebrate with our friends on Cayman Islands as they mark their historic event as well. What fun!

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